ROBERTS, Lionel Tom
| Service Number: | 6634 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 December 1916, Had enlisted for a short time in September 1914. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ramsgate. Kent, England, 10 November 1889 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Carriage Builder |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 11 August 1918, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery Plot X, Row F, Grave No. 4 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Dec 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6634, 20th Infantry Battalion, Had enlisted for a short time in September 1914. | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Jan 1917: | Involvement Private, 6634, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Jan 1917: | Embarked Private, 6634, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Lionel Tom ROBERTS was born at Ramsgate in Kent, England, on 10th November 1889. He migrated to Australia when he was 22 years of age. He joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways on 23rd April 1913 as a Wagon Builder in the Locomotive Branch based at Eveleigh. On 5th December 1913 his position changed to that of Carriage Builder, but he continued to be based at Eveleigh in the Locomotive Branch. On 7th September 1914 he was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces. He was discharged and resumed his Railways duties on 11th September 1914. On 12th December 1916 he was again released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Lionel joined the AIF for the second time on 13th December 1916 and he was assigned to the 19th Reinforcements to the 20th Infantry Battalion with the rank of Private (Service Number 6634). When he enlisted, he was living just a few blocks to the north-west of Eveleigh Workshops. For his next of kin, he nominated his father, Frederick Lavers Roberts, whose address was in Horsham, Sussex, England.
He embarked for England aboard HMAT A18 ‘Wiltshire’ at Sydney on 7th February 1917 and disembarked at Devonport, England, on 11th April 1917. He went to the 5th Training Battalion at Rollestone. On 25th April 1917 he went to Fargo Hospital, returning to the 5th Training Battalion on 2nd May 1917. On 22nd May 1917 he was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford with venereal disease. He was discharged to the Convalescent Training Depot on 12th June 1917 and returned to the 5th Training Battalion on 15th July 1917.
Lionel left England for France on 9th October 1917. He reached the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot at Le Havre on 10th October 1917. He marched out of this Depot on 13th October 1917 and joined the 20th Infantry Battalion on 15th October 1917. This was five days after the battle of Poelcappelle in Belgium and just over ten months after he enlisted.
On 11th August 1918 he was killed in action at Villers-Bretonneux in France. His grave is in Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France. His place of association in Australia is Sydney, NSW.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.