Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Before the war, Frank Charles Lyons was a seaman, and was married to his wife Margret Lyons. Frank Charles Lyons was 26 years old when war broke out in 1916, after hearing the news, He decided to fight for his country and sign up for the army. When he signed up for the army, he was assigned to the 27th Infantry. He signed an oath for the war on March 6, 1916, and signed a certificate of medical examination, giving him all clear to proceed into the army March 6, 1916. He signed both in Adelaide. He was ready to proceed and enter the Australian army, after saying farewell to his wife Margret Lyons, he embarked on a on the 23rd of June 1916, to fight in the war.

After arriving at Egypt, Frank trained hard for two months, training for war. After the two months had finished, Frank was taken to by boat to the battlegrounds he would fight on for months: Gallipoli. After landing, the 7th brigade (which included the 27th infantry battalion) reinforced and added arms to the existing and worn-out New Zealand and Australian Division. About a month had passed and Franks battalion had, which had only suffered light causalities, left for the peninsula about two months after landing. Arriving at Egypt once again, the entirety of the 7th brigade entered France in an attempt to battle there. The 27th battalion managed to get into the front lines of this battle, starting battle on 28th July, and finally ending on 5th august. After a bit of reframe from battle on both sides, the 27th battalion joined the 2nd division and joined in multiple attacks on the east of Flers, in the Somme Valley, both of these attacks failed. After participating in smaller attacks during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in early 1917, Franks battalion didn’t actually carry out any major attack until the 20th of September 1917. This was a part of the 2nd divisions first wave at the battle of Menin Road. This was a victory, which lead to the capture of Broodseinde Ridge on the 4th of October 1917, this was aided by the 27th battalion. Like most AIF battalions, the 27th fought to turn back the German spring offensive in April 1918, and later in the year participated in a string of offensive battles as Germany was pushed ever closer to defeat. But before it attacked around Morlancourt on the night of 10 June, Frank Lyons was discharged from the army for being medically unfit. The reasoning remains mysterious, but it was presumably due to the contraction of pyrexia fever, Frank was then admitted to a hospital, and then later sent home.

After being involved in many battles Frank Charles Lyons presumably went back to his wife and lived the rest of his life with her.

Resources:

www.awm.gov.au. (n.d.). 27th Australian Infantry Battalion. [online] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51467#:~:text=The%20battalion%20left%20Australia%20in [Accessed 10 May 2022].

‌This website (Australian War Memorial) was refrenced with harvard refrencing.