Robert John Booth

Robert John Booth (Service No 5778) was born in Kiama, N.S.W in 1895.  He was 20 years old and working as a dairy farmer in Northern New South Wales when he enlisted at Lismore, N.S.W.  

Robert embarked with the 9th Battalion, 18th Reinforcement, from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A49 Seang Choon on 4 May 1916.

He served in Egypt and on the Western Front.  On 3 May 1917 Robert was wounded in action while serving in France at Bullecourt, France, sustaining a severe gunshot wound to the chest and back.  Evacuated to the 2nd London General Hospitral on 16 May 1917, Robert was eventually returned to Australia, arriving on 20 March 1918, where he was  discharged as medically unfit.

"The First Battle of Bullecourt, 11 April 1917, was an Australian attack on German trenches east of the village of Bullecourt. The plan was to advance some three kilometers north, taking the village of Hendecourt, two kilometers north east of Bullecourt. Operations of this kind were usually supported by a prior artillery bombardment of the German trenches. However at Bullecourt the Australian 4th Division attacked without artillery support, in an attempt to surprise the Germans, but with the assistance of a dozen tanks. In spite of the failure of most of the tanks to reach the German line, the Australian infantry advanced northwards, with Bullecourt on their left flank, and seized two lines of German trenches. There they were halted by increasing German resistance. Let down a second time by the failure of their own artillery to fire on the German counterattacks, the Australians, having held the enemy trenches for several hours, were driven back to their starting line with the loss of over 3000 men. Poorly planned and hastily executed, the first battle of Bullecourt resulted in disaster." -- from: www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/bullecourt

Robert died at the age of fifty one in 1946 in Casino,N.S.W.

Robert's brothers William Wallace Booth & Ernest Albert Booth (Service No 5777) also served.