Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Andrew A. Doyle, F.R.C.S.I., and Mary Douglas Doyle, of Queensland. Australia

HIS RADIANT SPIRIT SERVES WITH THE BATTALIONS OF THE SUPREME RULER

LIEUTENANT DOYLE KILLED.
Dr. and Mrs. A. A. Doyle, of Brisbane, have received a cablegram announcing she sad news that their sou, Lieutenant Eric Douglas Doyle, of the Royal Field Artillery, has been killed  in action. It will be remembered that it was announced in these columns a week or two ago that Lieutenant Doyle had been awarded the Military Cross for gallant conduct.

Lieut. Eric Douglas Doyle, M.C., of the Royal Field Artillery, aged 33 years, who was killed in action on July, 29, 1917, was a son of Dr. and Mrs A. A. Doyle, of Brisbane. Over two and a half years ago he left Australia to join the army, and obtained a commission in the Royal Field Artillery, in which he served in France. He was transferred to Mesopotamia, but returned to the Western front where he had been actively engaged up to the time of his death.

Dr. and Mrs. A. A. Doyle, of Brisbane, have received the following cablegram from the War Office:—"Deeply regret to inform yon Lieut. Eric Douglas Doyle, of — artillery brigade,  was killed in action on July 27. The Army Council express their sympathy." It will be remembered that Lieut. Doyle was the Military Cross about three weeks ago, and previous to  that honour had been mentioned twice in despatches for gallant conduct. Lieut. Doyle was 23 years of age, an old Brisbane Grammar School boy, a fine athlete, very popular at  school, and later on in the army. He was in the Far West when the war broke out, and hastened to enlist. He saw service in Mesopotamia, was invalided to England, and since his  recovery has been on service in France.

DOYLE.—Killed in action, in Flanders, on July 29, 1917, Eric Douglas Doyle, M.C., Lieutenant, R.F.A., 150th Brigade, British Expeditionary Force, aged 23 years, elder son of Dr. A. A. and Mrs. Doyle, St. Mary's, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane.

ERIC DOUGLAS DOYLE (15.12.1893 - 29.7.1917)
From Roma Qld. His father Dr. A.A. Doyle.
At TAS 3½ years from July to Dec 1907. He took part in athletics and drama. In 1904 he was Alice In "Alice In Wonderland”.
After leaving school he became a well known amateur boxer.

Served in the Royal Field Artillery and became a Lieut. After 4 months of trench life In France he went to Mesopotamia and from there he was invalided to Bombay and then to England. On the western  front he was commended by his General "I wish to place on record my appreciation of your courage and initiative on May 9th, 1917, when, your battery-position being under heavy fire, you gallantly  rescued the wounded and extricated the dead and by your gallantry, courage and indifference to danger, restored order among the men of your Battery." Soon after this he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry.

Obituary — His Armidalian Obituary includes a letter he wrote to his parents in 1917.
"On June 7th, we had advanced on a front of 9 miles. I had the job (especially picked) of F.O.O., i.e. Forward Observing Officer, to go with the Infantry "over the top", as representative of the whole  brigade of guns. It was what might be called a dangerous job and one In which you must keep very cool. We went behind the most wonderful barrage I have ever seen — it was perfect. I really had the most exciting time. ... The infantry thought I was a Hun, too, and opened fire on us with machine guns and rifles. They missed me, so I went back to the dug-out and thought things over. You must  know by this time I was in the midst of our barrage, and nine inch shells and smaller were falling like autumn leaves all around so I decided to chance the Infantry and once more walked towards them. By good luck they recognised me and stopped firing. So that was how an F.O.O. and a Bombadier beat their own Infantry, and took 16 prisoners. We were the first to see over the ridge, now ours for ever and a day"
Killed aged 23. "Seven weeks after this a shell burst on the roof of his dug-out, just after he had entered it. Ha was rendered unconscious and died on his way to the dressing station.” Buried in Row C  Grave 2 of the Boshouse Cemetery Voormereele, Belgium 

Obituary: "And thus passed to his rest a gallant a soldier and officer whose record of
courage will be for all time an inspiration to us".

ERIC DOUGLAS DOYLE. (From Armidalian Sept. 1917)
Not unto every father comes the trust
To call a young god "son" a little while.
Death cannot take away what thus was given,
No other was to him what you have been;
And still his gay laugh seems to break the pall,
makes transparent Death's most opaque screen.
It is as though a hand reached back, a voice
Fell, like a blessing. down the moonlit blue.
"Take courage, Eric Brighteyes is not lost,
He is just waiting o'er the rim, for you."
The star-dust sandalled his impatient feet,
Just for a little to your hearth to come,
Then, victor in the World's Olympian game,
Crowned with wild olive, so your boy goes home.
(Printed by kind permission of Mrs. N. Forrest.)