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Carlyle Gordon Willis - Information

Carlyle was born in Tumut c1885 to Charles and Victoria Willis. When he was older, he lived in Lindfield where he worked as an article clerk, having attended Sydney University. At the time, his family were living in Ingleburn. When he was 29 years old, he enlisted in the AIF on the 24th of March 1915 in Liverpool. Carlyle was made a Private with the 6th Army Service Corps. He was then sent abroad from Sydney upon the HMAT Berrima on the 25th of June 1915 with the 2nd Light Horse Brigade Train.

Carlyle landed in Egypt and was soon helping operations in the Dardanelles function. In the new year the troops were stationed back to Egypt. Here, on the 23rd of February, he was appointed Driver with the Transport Section at Maadi. The following month, he was transferred to the ANZAC Motorised Division, joining them in Kantara. Carlyle helped transport men and material for operations. On the 1st of June, he was promoted to Corporal and placed with the 1st Field Squad Engineers. However, at the end of the year, Carlyle was hospitalised for syphilis. Throughout 1917, his health continued to be an issue. On the 8th of March, he was sent back to Australia due to chronic myocarditis. He was medically discharged in May. Carlyle returned to Lindfield, and then moved to Ingleburn to be with his family.