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Louis Francis Raymond - Information

Louis was born in Menangle on the 12th of March 1894 to William James and Elizabeth Raymond. When the war began, Louis was living on Queen St in Campbelltown with his family. He supported himself by working as a night officer and a signalman at the Campbelltown Train Station. When he was 23, he made up his mind to enlist in the AIF, joining up at the Victoria Barracks on the 1st of December 1917. He trained at the Royal Showground Camp, before going to Broadmeadows, Victoria, becoming a Sapper with the Railway Unit. Louis departed Melbourne on the 28th of February 1918 on the HMAT Nestor.

Louis arrived in Liverpool, England in March, and was taken to the Australian Railway Operating Depot in Longmoor. In June, he proceeded overseas to France via Folkestone. Once in France, he was taken to the Australian General Base Depot at Rouelles. Here, he joined the 2nd Australian Light Railway Company. However, in July, Louis was transported back to England to complete duty with Headquarters in London, before reporting back to France in August to the 1st Battalion. After the war ended, Louis was once again transported back to England in December. He then returned to Australia in March 1919 on the Plassy. However, at the time, he was suffering with debility from chronic bronchitis.