Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born in 1897 near Kapunda, South Australia, Cyril Henry Robert Rosenthal was one of eight children. He was the third-youngest and had four older brothers; Sidney Alfred, George Henry, Richard Theodore, and Albert John Charles. He also had one older sister, Christina Henrietta, and two younger brothers, Victor Arnold and Arthur. Growing up near the town of Kapunda, he attended a local public school. Rosenthal participated in the Senior Cadets 80th Battalion for three years. He worked as a butcher in the local town. The enlistment centre in Adelaide is where he enlisted on May 6th at only 18 years and ten months and was assigned to the 32nd Infantry Battalion, A Coy. The Unit embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A70 Ballarat on August 12th 1916.

Rosenthal spent considerable time either training or ill in England, and only made it to his unit in France in Apil 1918. A couple of weeks later he was wounded in action, durin the German Spring Offensive. He was wounded in the hip and the hand. He recovered from his wound in England, but in August 191 became seriously ill. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly before the war ended on September 4th 1918, at Sutton Veny, England, the United Kingdom, due to Tuberculosis at the age of 23. He is now buried at the St. John the Evangelist cemetery located at Sutton Veny, Grave No. 362, Sec. Military, England. For his time with the AIF, Rosenthal was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Memorials for Cyril Henry Robert Rosenthal can be found at the Adelaide National War memorial, Australia War Memorial, Roll of Honour, Freeling WW1 Pictorial Honour Roll, Freeling War Memorial, and the Kapunda and District Fallen Soldiers Monument.

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Died on this date - 4th September.......Cyril Henry Robert Rosenthal was born at Kapunda, South Australia in 1898.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 16th May, 1916 stating he as a 19 year old Butcher (actual aged was 17).

Private Rosenthal, Service number 3618, arrived in England on 30th September, 1916 for further training before being sent to the Front. He spent time in England recuperating from pneumonia & finally joined 32nd Battalion at the front on 10th April, 1918.

Private Rosenthal was wounded in action on 24th April, 1918.

He was invalided to England & was being returned overseas in August, 1918 when he became sick.

On 18th August, 1918 he was admitted to the Military Hospital at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire seriously ill with Acute Peritonitis.

Private Cyril Henry Robert Rosenthal died at 5.15 am on 4th September, 1918 from Tuberculosis generalised & Peritonitis generalised.

He was buried in St. John the Evangelist Churchyard at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire where 140 other Australian WW1 Soldiers are buried as well as 2 Australian Nurses.

(The above is a summary of my research - the full research can be found following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/r---s.html

Private Cyril ROSENTHAL, fifth son of Mr. G. Rosenthal, of Hansborough, died in France on September 4 from peritonitis, following severe wounds received last March. He was 20 years of age, and  enlisted in May, 1916, leaving for the front the following August. On the voyage home he contracted pneumonia, and was carried ashore insensible. His condition kept him in England until March last; in  fact, he had been in France only three weeks when he was rendered hors de combat through wounds, from which he never tlhoroughly recovered. He was born at Kapunda, where he was educated. He  followed the occupation of a butcher, and when he enlisted was in the employ of Mr. Glllespie, of Freeling. He was a promising young man and held in high esteem. As a footballer and bicycle rider he was 
prominent in the athletic sphere.