Roy Garnett PREECE MM

Roy Garnett PREECE MM Update Details

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S69127

PREECE, Roy Garnett

Service Number:	49
Enlisted:	18 August 1914, Adelaide, SA
Last Rank:	Driver
Last Unit:	1st Divisional Signal Company
Born:	Adelaide, SA, 26 May 1894
Home Town:	Inglewood, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Telegraph assistant
Died:	1 April 1980, aged 85 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Happy Valley Cemetery, Port Lincoln RSL Section
Memorials:	Adelaide Gilles Street Primary School WW1 Honour Roll (New)

World War 1 Service

18 Aug 1914:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 49, 1st Divisional Signal Company, Adelaide, SA
20 Oct 1914:	Involvement Sapper, 49, 1st Divisional Signal Company, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Karroo embarkation_ship_number: A10 public_note: ''
20 Oct 1914:	Embarked Sapper, 49, 1st Divisional Signal Company, HMAT Karroo, Melbourne
11 Nov 1918:	Involvement Driver, 49
Date unknown:	Wounded 49, 1st Divisional Signal Company

Help us honour Roy Garnett Preece's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Son of Albert Edward PREECE and Alice Emma nee CROWDER

Military Medal

'On the night 2nd/3rd November, 1917 at SANSOUCI Valley - North of WESTHOEK - these two Signallers working as Linesmen - maintained the Telephone Lines between Group Headquarters and the 8 Batteries - working throughout the night under a very heavy Gas and H.E. bombardment which continually cut the lines. These men [PREECE and 191 Robert Cuthbert GRIEVE] - regardless of personal safety - never hesitated to at once go the break and mend it. The Gas was very thick and the ground was so broken that if often took an hour to trace and mend a single break. By their heroic attention to duty communications were maintained throughout the night. Both these men although they wore their Respirators have since been evacuated, Gassed.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 95
Date: 27 June 1918

Biography contributed by Modbury High School

Roy Garnett Preece was the son of Albert Edward Preece and Alice Emma nee Crowder. He was born on the 18th of May 1894. Roy’s hometown was Inglewood, in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. He was single and was a telegraph assistant before the war. Roy Garnett was 20 at the date of embarkation. Before enlisting he had previous military service in the 34th Battery Australian Field Artillery.

Roy enlisted on the 18th of August 1914. He was the 49th person to enlist, receiving the rank sapper. He was put in the 1st Divisional Signalling Company. Roy Garnett was wounded on an unknown date. He embarked with his Unit from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A10 Karroo on 20th of October 1914. Preece disembarked on the 22nd of January 1919 and was discharged due to being medically unfit on the 25th of April 1919. He returned to Australia on the 9th of December 1918 after 4 years and 251 days of total service, with the rank drive

After the war, he married Phyllis Dawson (daughter of Edward Dawson) at St Margaret’s Church, Tumby Bay. He died on the 1st of April 1980 and was buried at Port Lincoln RSL Cemetery, where his wife was soon after buried with him.

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