Sidney John Richards
From Our Contribution
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1 Apr 1879 |
| Place of Birth | Taunton, Somerset, England |
| Death | 27 Aug 1962, aged 83 |
| Place of Death | Rivervale, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 39 years old |
| Description |
5'5" tall ; 117lbs 53.07 kg ; fresh complexion ; light hazel eyes ; light brown hair ; scar on left temple |
| Occupation | Market gardener |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Crawford street, East Cannington, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Wife , Mrs Ada Richards |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 56393 |
| Date of Enlistment | 17 Apr 1918 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | Western Australian 2nd Reinforcements allocated to Australian Army Veterinary Hospital |
| Date of Embarkation | 29 Jul 1918 ‒ 27 Sep 1918 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A74 Marathon Albany to London |
| Date of Return | 1 May 1919 ‒ 1 Jun 1919 |
| Ship Returned On | SS China Devonport to Fremantle |
| Fate | Returned to Australia |
| Monument |
Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll Canning Honour Roll Wattle Grove Progress Association Roll of Honour |
| Medals | British War Medal |
Pre War
In England had served in the Imperial Yeomanry prior to emigration to Australia.
Electoral Roll entries: 1916 - 1917 Crawford street, East Cannington, labourer
War Service
Due to the advanced state of the war when he enlisted, Sidney was allocated to general reinforcements on entry to Blackboy Hill camp, and he travelled to England soon after on HMAT A74 Marathon arriving there on 27 Sep 1918. On arrival he was sent to the 1st Training Battalion in Fovant where a day later (29 September) he was allocated to the 11th Battalion reinforcements.
On 5 Oct 1918 he was transferred to Artillery and moved to the their training base at Heytesbury. Sidney proceeded overseas to France on 27 Nov 1918 and on 18 Dec 1918 in Calais, Sidney was taken on strength by the Australian Veterinary Hospital, remaining with them until he was repatriated to Australia. Marked for early repatriation, on 8 Apr 1919 he returned to Sutton Veny in England to prepare for his return to Australia. Sidney was discharged by the 5th Military District on 15 Jun 1919.
Post War
Electoral Roll entries: 1919 Crawford street, East Cannington, labourer; 1925 Victoria street, Cottesloe Beach, greengrocer; 1931 - 1937 York terrace, Cottesloe Beach; 1943 Drake street, Morley Park, poultry farmer.
Ada died on 26 May 1944 at Morley Park, Western Australia.
Notes
Sidney did not qualify for the Victory Medal as he did not enter France until after 11 Nov 1918.