Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Cecil James Rollins was born in January of 1891 in Cobham, a town in the Elmbridge Borough of Surrey, England. He lived with parents James Rollins, a domestic gardener born in 1863 and Alice C Rollins, a housewife born in 1861, alongside his older sister, Alice Rollins, born in 1889, and younger sister May Rollins, born in 1903. The family moved often throughout Surrey, living in places like Virginia Water, Mitcham and Weybridge before eventually settling in Egham, a historic parish in the borough of Runneymede, Surrey. Cecil was described in his Attestation Papers as being 5ft 7 ¾ inches, with grey eyes, dark hair and a dark complexion.

Cecil lived with his family until moving to Adelaide, Australia before the war. Records show that he was working in Wales as a Butler in April 1911 but it is unclear when he moved to Australia. On the 4th of March 1915, 3 months before his embarkation, Cecil married Lizzie Marion Rollins (née Leraik), born in Newton, Wigtownshire, Scotland in 1890. While they married in Adelaide, Lizzie moved to live in Bladnoch, Wigtownshire, Scotland until the end of the war. Lizzie gave birth to their only son James in 1916

Cecil enlisted at the age of 24 and 5 months from Keswick, South Australia on the 3rd February 1915.

On the 1st of May, 1915, he was appointed as a part of the Military Police, a force of soldiers within the military provided with the role of maintaining law and order in the AIF.

He embarked on HMAT Geelong on the 31st of May, landing in Egypt for two months of training taking place largely in the military base at Tel-El-Kebir, during which time he was admitted to Heliopolis Hospital, located in the former Heliopolis Palace Hotel in Cairo, Egypt on the 8th of August, 1915 with varicose veins, where he remained for 2 months, being released on the 12th of October. He proceeded to France 14th October 1916 and joined the 27th Battalion 3rd November 1916

Cecil was promoted to Lance Corporal in 1916 while stationed at the military headquarters in Egypt, and he was then promoted to Corporal on the 6th of November, 1916.

After being promoted to Sergeant on the 22nd of March, 1917 in France, then returning from leave in England from the 6th to the 17th of October, Cecil was selected on the 25th of October, at the age of 28 ½ to be sent back to England to undergo commissioned officer training set to commence at the beginning of November. The recommendation report filled out by his superior officer was positive, with his standard of education deemed as good and his military knowledge and power of command/leadership deemed very fair, the only possible blemish being that he had a tendency to stammer. The training proved successful, as on the 26th of March 1918, he was reported to have qualified as an Officer Cadet, the starting rank of the commissioned officers, the title of which he would retain until being officially commissioned.

After serving in France as a cadet for a short while, and then being promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on the 1st of May, 1918, Cecil was detached to the 7th infantry brigade headquarters on the 27th of June 1918, during which time he was admitted to hospital. It is unclear why he was detached, what his role was during the detachment, what the cause of his hospital visit was or when he was released, however it is known that he rejoined the 27th Battalion three months later on the 11th of August the same year. On the 29th of August 1918, it is reported that Cecil is wounded in action, yet remains at duty. It is likely, due to the unit diaries of the day and later reports, that this was the ankle injury that would later be mentioned in the description of the gallantry and devotion to duty that won him a military cross (mentioned below). While it is not entirely certain, it is possible that this injury was sustained in the shell-fire endured by Australian troops during their advancement of Biaches.

Cecil’s final promotion occurred on the 1st of September, 1918, when he was promoted to Lieutenant.

On the 31st of January 1919, Cecil was awarded the Military Cross, “conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty”, wherein he, enduring injury and artillery, assisted with the organisation of troops during the battle of Mont St. Quentin, a battle fought along the German Somme-line in Péronne, France, and likely contributed to the massive victory of the Australian soldiers, ultimately resulting in the retreat of the German troops from that line of defence to their last remaining line. A report was issued in the London Gazette stating the exact events as follows:

“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on 2nd September, 1918, during the operations near Mont St. Quentin. He went back from our advanced outpost to organise the elements of a unit collected in a sunken road, bringing them forward to reinforce the right flank. He then visited all the advanced posts, and sent in accurate reports. He was under intense fire the whole time, and hampered by an injured ankle.”

Cecil James Rollins survived the war and was decommissioned from his service in the war in 1920, disembarking on the 18th of February of that year, and thus returned to Australia with his wife and son who had still been living in Scotland at the time.

Cecil lived until the age of 60, eventually passing on the 30th of May 1951. He was buried in the Centennial Park cemetery in Mitcham, Pasadena, Adelaide, and was later joined in the same plot by Lizzie, who passed in 1965.