DAWSON, Robert Raymond
| Service Number: | 2866 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 March 1916, Orroroo, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Morchard, South Australia, 15 April 1894 |
| Home Town: | Morchard, Orroroo/Carrieton, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Morchard Public School |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Beersheba, Palestine, 31 October 1917, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Beersheba War Cemetery Beersheba War Cemetery area D, grave No. 27 in Palestine. Robert was buried by Chaplain J. H. , Beersheba War Cemetery, Beersheba, Israel |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Orroroo District Roll of Honour WW1, Orroroo Morchard Methodist Church Memorial Window, Orroroo Morchard Public School Roll of Honor, Orroroo Morchard War Memorial, Orroroo War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2866, Orroroo, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2866, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: SS Walwa embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 27 Jul 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2866, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, SS Walwa, Adelaide | |
| 31 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 2866, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Battle of Beersheba, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2866 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1917-10-31 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Takara Austin
Robert Raymond Dawson was the son of Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Dawson. He was born in Morchard, South Australia, and attended Morchard Public School. Robert was a tall man with fair skin, dark hair and blue eyes. He grew up under the Methodist religion alongside his brothers and sisters.
Once out of school, Robert turned towards farming and that became his trade before enlisting in the army. Robert enlisted when he was twenty-one years and eleven months old. He was listed as single with his next of kin being his mother, Mary Elizabeth. He was given the service number 2866 and was ranked as a private in the Australian Imperial Force. Robert was twenty two years old when he embarked for the war.
Robert embarked on the RMS Malwa on the twenty seventh of July, 1916. RMS means Royal Mail Steamers and these boats would carry mail between Australia and the U.K. before the start of the war. Once war broke out the ships were used to carry soldiers from the U.K.’s allies such as Australia.
Robert was placed in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, in the 20th reinforcement and was sent to fight in the campaign in Palestine 1917-1918. The campaign began on the twenty sixth of March, 1917 and ended on October the thirty first, 1918.
Robert was killed in action stretcher bearing in Palestine on the thirty first of October, 1918, the same day the Palestine campaign ended. Robert Raymond Dawson was buried in the Beersheba War Cemetery area D, grave No. 27 in Palestine. He was buried by Chaplain J. H. Bates on the first of November, 1918. Two medals were awarded to Robert; the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
References
Aif.adfa.edu.au. (2018). Details. [online] Available at: https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=75440 [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].
Cwgc.org. (2018). Casualty. [online] Available at: https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/644452/dawson,-robert-raymond/ [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].
Trove. (2018). Trove search results for 'RMS Malwa adelaide'. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/result?q=RMS+Malwa+adelaide [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].
National Archives of Australia. (2018). National Archives of Australia. [online] Available at: http://www.naa.gov.au/ [Accessed 23 Aug. 2018].
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