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Students at the University of Sydney

Students and World War 1

Over 1800 members of the University were engaged in active military or naval service in World War I. In addition to graduates and University staff, a large number were undergraduate students.

The women students of the University formed an organisation for women's work in connection with the Red Cross and other services, and rendered valuable assistance.

Of those who enlisted, 197 gave their lives. Over 240 decorations were won, including one Victoria Cross awarded to Lieut. Percy Valentine Storkey, a student in the Faculty of Law.

University students killed in World War 1

University of Sydney students killed in World War 1 include the following:


  Thomas Acheson Armstrong
Medicine III		 Lieutenant, Australian Imperial Forces (A.I.F.)
Killed in action, Flanders, October, 1917.
John Henry Asher John Henry Asher
Photo from 'Hermes'
Arts I (evening student)		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, September, 1917.
  Robert James Macgregor Barnet
Engineering I		 Driver, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, August, 1916.
  Francis Maxwell Barton
BA and Law I		 Captain, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, August, 1916.
  Robert Anthony Barton
Arts II		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, June, 1917.
  James Bee
Science II

Gunner, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, August, 1918.
Kenneth Allen Bell  Kenneth Allan Bell
Arts III
Photo H13904, courtesy of the
Australian War Memorial Website 

Lieutenant, A.I.F.
He enlisted in the 19th Battalion on
22 June 1915 and his commission
was confirmed on 1 December 1915.
He sailed from Sydney in HMAS
Orsova on 11 March 1916 for
Alexandria. The battalion sailed
on 20 May 1916 for Marseilles
and the Western Front. He was
killed in action at Pozieres, France,
on 26 July 1916, aged 26 years.
  Thomas Newbon Bennett
Medicine I

Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France,  June, 1917.
Bertie Ewen Berman Bertie Ewen Berman
Photo from 'Hermes'
Dentistry I

Company Sergeant-Major, A.I.F.
Killed  in action, France, February, 1917.

  William George Bill
Engineering IV

Corporal, A.I.F.
Died of illness, at sea, July, 1916.
  Archibald John Black
Economics II		 Sergeant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, July, 1916.
  Alan Russell Blacket
Law III		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds,  France, July, 1916.
  James Blackwood
Arts I		 Private, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France,  December, 1916.
  Harold Robertson Blanksby
BA and Law II		 Private, South African  Forces
Killed in action, France, 12 April, 1917.
  Thomas Edney Bradshaw
Law IV		 His Unit embarked from Sydney, NSW
on board HMAT A14 Euripides on
31 October 1917. Private, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, 11 September,
1918, aged 24.
William Keating Brennan  William Keating Brennan
Arts I
Photo P05074.001, courtesy of the Australian War
Memorial website  		Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, Gaza, Palestine, 20 April, 1917.
  Harold Brewer
Arts I (evening)		 Company Sergeant-Major, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, October, 1917.
  Harold Brown
Economics I		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, February, 1917.
  Leonard Rockley Brownlow
Arts I		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, October, 1917.
  Lewis Marsden Bull
Economics I		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, October, 1915.
  George Harman Burke
Economics I		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, October, 1915.
  Hector Burton
Medicine I		 Gunner, A.I.F.
Died of illness, England, February, 1919.
Stanley Robert Callaghan Stanley Robert Callaghan
Photo from 'Hermes'
Dentistry IV

He enlisted with the 9th Australian Field
Ambulance on 7 September 1915 and
embarked from Sydney on 5 July 1916.
He was Killed in Action on 1 October 1917
at Zonnebeke, Belgium.
Vincent Charles Callen Vincent Charles Callen
M.M., Engineering I
Photo, courtesy of the Harrower Collection website

Lieutenant, A.I.F.
His Unit embarked from Sydney, NSW, on
board HMAT A20 Hororata on 2 May 1916.
Killed in action, Age 29, Thailles Wood,
near Bray, Somme, France, 20 August, 1918. 
  Geoffrey Servante Champion
Arts II

Enlisted 1 July 1915. Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 25 July 1916.
Buried Pozieres British Cemetery,
Ovillers-La-Boisselle, France.
  Edgar Boyd Clouston
Medicine III

Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, September, 1917.

  Henry Egerton Clunies Ross
Arts I		 Enlisted 5 May 1915.
Captain, King's African Rifles, B.E.F.
Died of malaria and pnemonic
influenza, London, September, 1918 aged 27.
  Robert Clunies Ross
Economics I		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 3 October, 1918.
  Cedric Cramp
Medicine III		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action,  Passchendaele, Belgium,
12 October, 1917 aged  20.
 
  John Skyring Cross
Medicine I		 Enlisted 12 December 1916, Private, A.I.F.
Died of disease 20 March 1918,
Passchendaele, Ypres, Belgium, aged 19.
  Francis Ellison Dare
Arts II		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in-action, France, May, 1917.
  Charles Bernard Donaldson
BA, Law III		 Lieut., A.I.F.
Killed, in action, Dardanelles, September, 1915.
George Robert Duncan

George Robert Duncan
Arts I 
Photo P08921.001, courtesy of the
Australian War  Memorial website,
taken in 1915.

 He embarked wit the 13th Reinforcements
from Sydney on board HMAT Aeneas
on 20 December 1915. A few months later
he transferred to the 2nd Battalion on
14 February 1916. Pte Duncan was killed
in action on 23 July 1913 at Pozieres,
Somme Sector, aged 19. His name is
commemorated on the Australian
National Memorial,
Villers-Bretonneux, France.
  Leonard Mortimer Duncan
Arts I		 Served for 1 year as Private in
Sydney University Scouts,
Enlisted 21 September 1915, Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Pozieres, Somme
Sector, France, 23 July, 1916, aged 19.
Francis Septimus Evatt Francis Septimus Evatt
Photo from 'Hermes'
Medicine II		 Gunner, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, September, 1918.
  Arthur Gardere Ferguson
Arts III and Law II		 Captain, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 14 June, 1916.
William Graham Duncan Fisher William Graham Duncan Fisher
Photo from 'Hermes'
BA and Law II		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds and gas poisoning,
France, March, 1917.
  Gilbert Langtree Fitzgerald
Engineering II		 Served in the Sydney University Scouts.
Enlisted 30 August 1915, Private, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, May, 1917 aged 21.
Dene Barrett Fry  Dene Barrett Fry
Science I
Photo P09285.003, taken in 1915,
courtesy of the Australian War
Memorial website 		 Appointed Junior Demonstrator in Zoology
in 1915, but left the University in May 1915
to enlist with the A.I.F.., Private, A.Ï.F.
After one voyage to England and Egypt with
the Army Medical Corps he transferred to the
Infantry in 1916. He trained at Liverpool and
Duntroon and left Sydney in August 1916
with the reinforcements to the 3rd Battalion
on board the transport "Wiltshire". Dene Fry
was killed in action at Hermies, France, 9 April 1917.

  Edmund William Garvan
Arts II		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action,  France, April, 1917.
  Stephen Gregory Grugeon
Agricultural Science III

Gunner, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, September, 1918.
  Eric Floyd Hancock
Science I

Corporal, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, July, 1916.

 
  John Hay
Arts I

Lieutenant, B.E.F.
Killed in action, France, January, 1917.
Ernest Walter Hayes  Ernest Walter Hayes
Law I
Photo P05301.243< courtesy of the
Australian War Memorial website, taken in 1915 

Lance-Corporal, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, 2 September 1916,
aged 20. He is buried in the
Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, east of Amiens, France.
  George Henry Hatter
Arts I (evening)

Sergeant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, August, 1916.
  John Keith Henderson
Dentistry III

Captain, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, August, 1916.
  Harold Leslie Henley
Arts II

Captain A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, July, 1916.
Arthur Joseph Hill Arthur Joseph Hill
Engineering I
Photo H05896, courtesy of the
Australian War Memorial website 

Signaller, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 22 February, 1917, aged 19.
  William George Vincent Hillcoat
Arts I

Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, September, 1917.
  Clifford Dawson Holliday
Arts III

Corporal, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, July, 1916.
  Lancelot Vicary Horniman
BA and Law I

Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, September, 1918.
  John Alexander Howard
Arts I

Sergeant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, Flanders, May, 1916.
  Richard Watson Howard
M.C., Engineering II

Captain, A.F.C., A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, March, 1918.

Sinclair Edward Hunt  Sinclair Edward Hunt
Arts I 
Photo PO7969.001, courtesy of the
Australian War
Memorial website 		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Mont St Quentin,
France, 1 September 1918, aged 26.
  Ivor Jones
Economics II		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, August, 1915.
  Reginald Arthur Kerry
Arts III and Law II		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, July, 1916.
  Eric Alexander Kingel
Engineering II		 Corporal, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, June, 1917.
  Robert Sydney Lasker
Medicine III		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, May, 1918.
  Charles Harold Latta
Engineering IV		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, July, 1916.
  Eric Neal Clamp Leggo
Medicine II		 Gunner, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, October. 1918.
  Donald Neil MacGregor
BA Science I		 C. Sergt.-Major, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, May, 1915.
  Horace Owen Marks
Medicine I		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 26 October 1916.
  Dudley Shearwin Matheson
Dentistry III		 Sergeant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 11 April 1917,
  Roy Kenilworth S. May
Medicine I		 Lieut., A.I.F
Died of wounds, Dardanelles, May, 1915.
 Alan David Mitchell

Alan David Mitchell
Law I
Photo HO6355, courtesy of the
Australian War Memorial website, taken 1914

 He enlisted 20 November
1914. Private, A.I.F.
He was wounded in action
some time between 25-29 April
and was evacuated to hospital in Egypt where he died of wounds
on 5 May 1915
Roy Douglas John Monie Roy Douglas John Monie
Photo from 'Hermes'
Medicine I		 Lieutenant, B.E.F.
Killed in action, France, April, 1917.
  Ernest Ephraim Moore
Economics II		 Lce.-Corporal, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, May, 1915.

  Niall Joseph Mullarkey
Veterinary Science I		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 5 November 1916, aged 21.
  Robert Andrew Malcolm Murray
Medicine II

Captain, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, June, 1917.
Alexander Roxburgh Muir Alexander Roxburgh Muir MC
Photo from 'Hermes'
Engineering III

Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, October, 1917, aged 22.
  Gordon Frederick Nalder
Dentistry I

Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, May, 1917, aged 25.
John Lancaster Norman John Lancaster Norman
Photo from 'Hermes'
Economics I

Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 29 October 1917, aged 20.
  Frederick Dudley Weldon Oatley
Arts II and Medicine I

Lieutenant-Colonel, A.I.F, serving with
the Light Horse Regiment and Camel Regiment.
Died of illness, Melbourne, March, 1919.
Richard Hensleigh O'Connor Richard Hensleigh O'Connor
Photo from 'Hermes'
Engineering I

Private, New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Killed in action, France, July, 1916.
  Roderic Alan Edward O'Connor
Arts III

Lieutenant, B.E.F.
Killed in action, France, September, 1916.
  Harold Kingsley Percival
Arts III (evening)

Flight Cadet, R.A.F., B.E.F.
Killed by accident while flying,
Scotland, September, 1918.
  Wilfred Mirfield Plaskitt
Engineering I

Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 31 March 1918, aged 22. 
  Hubert Wyatt Hay Rawson
Arts I, Engineering I

Captain, B.E.F.
Killed in action, France, January, 1917.
  Harry Lansbury Urquhart Reid
Arts III (evening)

Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, 2 May 1915, aged 25.
  Edward Clement Rennie
Arts II

Lieutenant, B.E.F.
Died of wounds, Salonika, June, 1918.
  Harold Arthur Retford
Economics II

Killed in action, France,
31 October 1916, aged 23.
  John Stanser Rich
Medicine I

Lieutenant, B.E.F.
Killed in action, Flanders, May, 1915, aged 19.
Evan Selwyn Richards Evan Selwyn Richards
Science III
Photo PO5301.062, courtesy of the
Australian War Memorial website,
taken 1915.    

Captain, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, September 1916.

  Frank Lane Ritchie
Arts I		 Lieut., A.I.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, August, 1915.
Elton Edward Rogers  Elton Edward Rogers
Arts I (evening)
Photo P09507.001, courtesy of
the Australian War Memorial website,
taken in 1915.		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 24 July 1916,
aged 22.
  Gerald Ryan
Medicine I		 Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, April, 1918.
  Kenneth Knowlton Saxby
Engineering I

Private, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 20 September 1917, aged 21.
In 1918 his father Mr G C Saxby
donated £150 for the foundation of a
prize in mathematics in the Dept of
Engineering as a memorial to his son.
  Geoffrey Campbell Scarr
Agricultural Science II		 Flight-Lieut., R.A.F., B.E.F.
Killed by accident, England, November, 1918.
  Francis Herbert Semple
Arts I (evening)		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, May, 1918.
Ernest Shannon Ernest Shannon
Photo from 'Hermes'
Arts II (evening)		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, June, 1917.
  Frederick Skevington
Arts I

Corporal, Α.Ι.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, May, 1915,
aged 21.
Elliott Darcy Slade Elliott Darcy Slade
BA and Law II
Photo P07241.005, courtesy of
the Australian War Memorial website,
taken in 1916.		 Served as a Sergeant in the University Scouts.
Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Villers-Bretonneux,
France, 3 March 1918, aged 23.
Murray Rainsford Smith Murray Rainsford Smith
Photo from 'Hermes'
Engineering III		 Sapper, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, December, 1916,
aged 23.
  Oswald Leslie Jennings Steel
Science I		 Captain, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, August, 1917.
  Laurence Whistler Street
BA, Law II
son of Mr Justice Street - a Fellow
of the Senate		 Lieut., A.I.F.
Killed in action, Dardanelles, 19 May 1915,
aged 21.
  Geoffrey Sulman
Engineering IV		 Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps, B.E.F.
Killed by an aircraft training
accident, Lincoln, England, 20 June 1917.
  Eric Hamilton Thomas
Engineering III		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, May, 1918.
  James Ambrose Thompson
Arts I		 Lieutenant, B.E.F.
Killed in action, France, October, 1916.
  Keith John Wade
Arts I		 Private, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, November, 1916.
  John Edward Steele Walsh
Engneering II		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, 23 December 1916,
aged 23.
Alfred Ernest Watson Alfred Ernest Watson
Photo from 'Hermes'
Dentistry III		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Died of wounds, France, October, 1917.
  Edward Emerson Willis
Medicine I		 Sergeant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, France, July, 1916.
  Geoffrey Guy Woodhill
Medicine III		 Lieutenant, A.I.F.
Killed in action, Pozieres, France, 1 August 1916.

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