Dick’s Camp, Collie, NSW
2119
1st Light Horse Regiment,
Collie memorial
Returned to Australia April 1919
KILBY Robert 2119
Robert Kilby was a 23 year old grazier of Dick’s Camp, Collie NSW when he enlisted on 6 September 1915 at Dubbo. He was 5’6” tall, 140lbs (63.5kgs), dark complexion, hazel eyes, black hair and no distinctive marks. His father, Daniel Kilby of the same address was his next of kin and his religion was Church of England.
Robert embarked from Sydney on board the RMS ‘Osterley’ on 15 January 1916 with the 1st Light Horse Regiment and disembarked in Egypt. Robert was taken on strength at Heliopolis on 1 March 1916. After the re-organisation of the AIF in early 1916, Robert was transferred to the 4th Division Artillery and served with the 4th Division Ammunition Column and the 10th Field Artillery Brigade.
Robert arrived in France on 13 June 1916 on the ‘Oriana’ and in October 1916 he trained at the Trench Mortar School and joined the Trench Mortar Brigade. While in France Robert served with the 4th Division Trench Mortar Brigade in the 7th and 8th Medium Trench Mortar Brigade and the 10th Field Artillery Brigade. He would have experienced the worst of the Western Front battles at Pozieres, Retreat to the Hindenburg Line, Bullecourt, Messines, Villers-Bretonneux, Hamel, Amiens Albert and the Hindenburg Line. He had one lot of leave in the UK in September 1918. Although he avoided wounding he was hospitalized in Egypt and France on several occasions for sickness and influenza. On 12 February 1919 he was sent to Woolwich in England for treatment of influenza. After recovering he returned to Australia on 10 April 1919 on the ‘Medic’, arriving in Sydney on 1 June 1919.
Gunner Robert Kilby was discharged and issued the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.