First employed by NSWGR as a Junior Porter in Feb 1911 when he was 16.  The station is given as Goulburn district.  He enlisted four years later in 1915.  His father’s address is noted as Exeter and his occupation is recorded as railway clerk though his employment card shows Porter.  He served as a driver, later promoted to Corporal.

He started with the 2^nd Light Horse Reserve Regiment in Egypt (Maadi , Cairo, Alexandria). After transferring to the 15^th field Artillery Brigade where he was appointed Driver, he was sent to France. He suffered an accidental back injury in October 1916 and was not discharged from hospital until November. Wounded in action in France and hospitalised in England 23/10/1917 for a Gun Shot Wound (later described as shrapnel wound) to his lower jaw. He was in hospital for a number of months and 15/2/1918 was charged with a military offence (‘whilst a patient in hospital returning to the hospital drunk’). ON the same day he was discharged on leave and returned to Command Depot at Sutton Veny. From there to AIF UK Depot at Tidworth. In November he was admitted to hospital at Bulford which specialised in VD and was taken over by the Australians in 1916 (‘due to demand’ – see hospital list).  40 days later he was transferred to a convalescent hospital in Parkhouse which also specialised in VD. He returned to tidworth in January 1919 when he was appointed Corporal. Returned to Australia in February and on return in March was discharged as Medically Unfit because of his wound.  He resigned from his job as Porter in November. As a result of a medical examination, NSWGR treated his resignation as ‘retirement due to ill health’ and a gratuity of ten days’ salary was payed to him for every year of his service – 42 pounds (decision made Sept 1920).

Was working as a bridge carpenter on the Moss Vale Railway Works when he enlisted at the Goulburn Depot on 10 January 1916. He was 27 years old. He went to England in September- October 1916 and was forfeited his pay on a number of occasions for ‘overstaying leave’ and being ‘absent from camp’. He then travelled to France in November 1916 with the 3^rd Rifles, 55^th Battalion and spent time in hospital in Etaples (France) between February to April in 1917.  He was found in July 1917 to have ‘defective vision’ , was transferred as ‘permanently unfit’ to England and was then discharged . Returned to Australia and sent to the 4^th Australian General Hospital at Randwick, NSW where his occupation is listed as ‘labourer’ (on 25.8.1917). He subsequently unsuccessfully tried for a pension which was rejected as ‘no incapacity as a result of warlike operations’ was listed.  (Claire summary of war record)

Born in 1894 in Goulburn. He was the youngest of seven sons in a very large Goulburn family (also several daughters).  By the time of the First World War the family was based in Exeter and involved in dairying and farming. A number of the sons were involved in military service. (GEPP 20 July 1916 p4).

Roy was living in Sydney as were two of his other brothers when his father died in 1937 (Scrutineer and Berrima District Press 23 June 1937 p2).  He died in 1968 (death certificate on service record).

His name was provided by Moss Vale historians.  It is unclear whether he is on the Moss Vale memorial because of family residence or because of his railway work which is only recorded as Goulburn District and could certainly have included Moss Vale which was within the Goulburn district.