STEPHENS, Roy William
| Service Number: | 3944 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 59th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Colac, Colac-Otway, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Colac State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Rue-du-Bois Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix Plot I, Row B, Grave No. 1 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Beeac War Memorial, Colac Methodist Church Honour Roll, Colac Soldier's Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3944, Depot Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3944, 7th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3944, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3944, 59th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3944 awm_unit: 59th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Brothers, Roy William Stephens and John Dunstan Stephens basically enlisted together in July 1915. They both fought at Fromelles with Roy losing his life and John was wounded by a German machine gun and received a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Later in the war, Company Sergeant Major John Dunstan Stephens was killed in action on Anzac Day 1918, in the fighting around Villers-Bretonneux.
A third brother, 555A Private Thomas Stephens 5th Battalion AIF, enlisted in 1916 at 18 years of age and was twice wounded. He was returned to Australia 12 December 1918, for “family reasons”, probably due to the death of his two brothers. Thomas died in 1924 following a motorcycle accident, aged 26.
They were all the sons of William Lower and Mary Ann (Minnie) Stephens, of Main Street, Beeac, Victoria, though the parents were living in Colac for much of the war.
Roy William Stephens was killed in action during the Battle of Fromelles but his body was recovered and received a decent burial. His identity disc along with some personal belongings were returned home to his parents.
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