NUMBER:

VX48581

BATTALION / UNIT / SHIP:

2/23rd Infantry Battalion

PLACE OF BIRTH:

Victoria 1 April 1918

NEXT OF KIN:

Mrs. Sarah Coles, his guardian, of Collins St Thornbury

DATE M& PLACE ON ENLISTMENT:

29 July 1940 at Caulfield

LOCATION ON ENLISTMENT:

Tarwin Meadows

OCCUPATION:

Farm labourer

DATE & PLACE OF DEATH:

16 July 1942 aged 24 at El Alamein Egypt

LOCATION OF GRAVE/MEMORIAL:

He is buried in El Alamein War Cemetery Egypt and is on memorials in Leongatha and Tarwin Lower.

RELATIONSHIP TO WOORAYL SHIRE:

He lived at Tarwin Meadows

MILITARY/OTHER HISTORY:

The 2/23rd Infantry Battalion was raised at the Albury Showgrounds in New South Wales in August 1940. The battalion did basic training in Albury before moving to Bonegilla, on the Victorian side of 

Murray River. The 2/23rd Battalion embarked Sydney and arrived in the Middle East in November.

In early 1941 the battalion moved into Cyrenica in Libya to complete its training. Despite British successes against German-led counter attacks at the start of the year against the 9th Division fell back to Tobruk. The 2/23rd entered Tobruk between 6 and 10 April.

The battalion helped defend Tobruk for eight months. In April the 2/23rd defended the western side and from May to July it moved to the eastern side of Tobruk, where the line cut the Bardia Road. It was here that Robert was killed. Robert was therefore a Desert Rat.

 In his will he left all his possessed to his foster mother Lily Ann Anderson