Sylvanus Benjamin Buckland

Sylvanus standing at rear Courtesy Rob Richings
Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known 1889
Place of Birth	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Death	12 Oct 1963
Place of Death	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	26 years, 8 months
Description	5'5" (1.65 m) tall; weight 150lbs (68.0 kg); medium complexion, brown eyes, brown hair.
Occupation	orchardist
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Sylvanus Thomas Buckland
Military Information
Reg Number	4990
Date of Enlistment	8 Mar 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 13th Reinforcement
Date of Embarkation	18 Jul 1916 - 9 Sep 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A48 Seang Bee
Date of Return	11 Jan 1918 - 26 Feb 1918
Ship Returned On	HMAT A16 Port Melbourne
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Jarrahdale
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Four weeks after entering camp, Sylvanus is allocated to the 13th reinforcement draft for the 28th Battalion.

After completing his training with the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone in England, he proceeded overseas to France on 2 Nov 1916 aboard the HMT Victoria, and on the 18th was taken on strength by the 28th Battalion who had just come out of the front lines on a day when there was a light fall of snow, followed by rain.

On 6 May 1917 Sylvanus presented to hospital ill, and on the 8th was embarked on HMHS St David in Boulogne for England where he was admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital, Birmingham on 8 Jun 1917. Transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital Dartford, and then on 6 Aug 1917 to No 2 Command Depot Weymouth. Over the next two months he moved around base units in Weymouth, Codford, Perham Down and Sutton Veny Returned to Australia (pulmonary catarrh) and discharged at 5th Military District on 10 Apr 1918.

Newspaper report that Sylvanus Benjamin Buckland , Jarrahdale was Ill.

Notes

In a postcard home to his sweetheart, he describes brother John's death as being caused by a shell landing in his dugout while he was asleep. The postcard was written on 13 Oct 1917 while he was at Perham Downs being retrained to return to France. He seems quite bitter about it saying others who had suffered no worse were being sent home to Australia. Ironically he was sent home without further service in France.