Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born in Kalangadoo, Luke attended the Kalangadoo School. Luke started work at the age of 14 as the mail boy at Koorine Station. The mail boys job was to ride to Tarpeena to collect the mail from the coach and return to Koorine; a formidable task indeed. By Luke’s mid teens he had become a boundary rider for the sheep section at Koorine. His love for and ability with horses stood out. Luke rode in the Kalangadoo Races in his youthful years.
On the 22nd January 1916 Luke Francis Rogers joined the A.I.F as a Light Horseman. From January to June Trooper Rogers trained in the Adelaide Area with the 1st, 3rd and 9th Light Horse Regiments.
On the 13th July 1916 Private Luke Rogers boarded the ‘Mongolia” at outer Harbour bound for the Middle east as part of the 9th Light Horse Regiment.
The 9th Light Horse regiment was first involved with pushing the Turks back across the desert and by December had the Turks back to the Palestine boarder.
The 9th Light Horse Regiment then became involved in two battles to capture two Turkish outposts. Both battles are recorded as captures made at Bayonet point.
The 9th Light Horse Regiment was involved in many battles including the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917, the capture of Jenin and Sasa in September 1918 and entered Damascus on the 1st October and was on the road to Homs when the Turks surrendered.
Whilst in the Jordan Valley, Private Luke Rogers service records states that Private Rogers had a second bout of malaria, the second attack in ten days, and was admitted to the 14th Australian Hospital A.I.F for one month.
After 900 days of active service Private Luke Rogers returned to Australia and was honourably discharged from 4th Military District and awarded the following service medals:

The British War Medal
The Victory Medal

Private Luke Francis Rogers an outstanding horseman, soldier and Australian.
On his return from active service he was appointed overseer of Koorine Station. Later he farmed an area of Koorine Station that he had purchased. He became a successful grazier; ’His property an example of energy and industry’ as was written in the local paper.
On the 9th February 1929 he married Miss Eileen Frances Ryan and they had two sons Bernard Francis and Gerald David.
Luke was a member of the Mount Gambier , Millicent and Kalangadoo Racing Clubs holding the position of Vice President and steward of the Kalangadoo Club.
Luke also held the position of Vice President of the Kalangadoo RSL and was also a committee member of St Joseph’s Catholic Church of Kalangadoo.
Luke Francis Rogers passed away in Adelaide at the age of 62 years and now lies at rest within the Lake Terrace Cemetery, Mount Gambier.

Lest We Forget