Biographical Details:
Sidney David Roxburgh was born in Sydney in 1890 to parents James Roxburgh and Charlotte Huntington. Although birth and marriage registration records spell his name as Sydney he signed his attestation papers with Sidney.
There is no indication of when or why Sidney moved to Western Australia or how long he had been there. It was unlikely that he moved there especially to enlist because at that time there was heavy recruiting in all eastern states. However he did enlist in the 3rd Reinforcement of the 28th Battalion in June 1915 and nominated his father, still resident in NSW, as Next of Kin.
After completing training in Egypt Sidney finally joined the 28th in Gallipoli in October, a month after the Battalion had been deployed there.
On the Trench Raid, Sidney was part of the Right Blocking Party. After the post Raid furlough to England Sidney was charged with failing to parade at Victoria Station. He was given 168 hours of Field Punishment and fined 11 days pay. Sidney was given a further 168 hours of Field Punishment for being absent without leave for 4 days in early July. Three weeks later he was promoted T/Corporal.
In March 1917, soon after being promoted Sergeant, Sidney was wounded in the right thigh and chest. His wounds were severe enough for him to be invalided back to Australia where in January 1918 he was given a medical discharge and granted a 23 shilling fortnightly pension.
Sidney settled in Perth and married Kathleen Cullen in 1919. They had a son in 1920.
Sidney continued his pre-war trade as a butcher. In 1924 he applied for a repatriation grant of £150 to purchase a partnership in a butchery. Unfortunately, in 1926, he had to declare bankruptcy.
Sidney died at Perth Hospital, aged 52, in 1942. |