Lomas Fishlock

Submitted by wollongongcityl... on Wed, 17/09/2014 - 09:46

First Name:

Lomas

Last Name:

Fishlock

Date Enlisted:

Monday, August 17, 1914

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Lance Corporal

Unit:

3rd Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Star 1914/15

Victory Medal

Details:

Lomas, son of Michael Fishlock, left in the portrait. He and his brother/uncle George could have been born before the family left the Cordeaux River for the Wollongong area. Lomas served in the 37th Illawarra Infantry, C Company prior to enlisting.

The Fishlock family played an integral part in the settlement of the Cordeaux River. Families such as Jenkin Rees, Rueben Garrett Stafford, Charles O’Brien and Oswald Brown also enlisted in the war.

He embarked from Sydney on 2 November 1914 and took part in the first landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. He saw action there until the evacuation of the troops. In the early stages he was listed as missing, however this was untrue. Lomas was subsequently posted at the Western Front. He fought at Pozieres, Bullecourt and Passchendaele in France. He was wounded in action twice – July 1916 in France and November 1917 in Belgium.

He was appointed Lance Corporal in France on 1 September 1918 and was posted to transport duty later that month until he was discharged on 23 January 1919.

On his return, he was welcomed by locals and received a bouquet of flowers by Miss Vera Wakeford.

Sources:

‘An Anzac Welcomed,’ Illawarra Mercury, 29 November 1918, p.6

McNamara J.L, Life at Cordeaux River New South Wales, Compiles and edited by John L Herbern, 2003.

McNamara J.L, Memories of Cordeaux, Westonprint Kiama, Australia, 1997

NAA: B2455 FISHLOCK L