General News
7 June, 2025
VETERANS' VOICES: Lindsay Gordon Wallis
Lindsay Gordon Wallis was born in Horsham to James Wallis and Mary Ann Wallis of 'Hepburn' Robert’s Avenue.
His religion being Presbyterian.
Lindsay was Educated at Horsham State School.
His occupation was a clerk at Young Brother’s Stock and Station Agency.
Lindsay was single on enlistment.
He was 19 years of age.
Lindsay was a cadet in Citizens Military Forces.
Lindsay Gordon Wallis enlisted on August 18, 1914.
Lindsay’s Service Number was 614.
Lindsay was a private and his unit was 8th Battalion E Company.
He embarked from Melbourne Victoria on board transport A24 Benalla on October 19, 1914.
Lindsay was firstly wounded and transferred to Tigne hospital Malta with a gunshot wound to his thigh.
He was found fit for duty on July 12, 1915, and embarked at Alexandria and was returned to the front on July 19, 1915.
He re-joined his unit on July 25, 1915.
It was during their landing at Gallipoli that Turkish soldier’s shelled Courtney’s Post at Lone Pine, Gallipoli and it was here during an attack on this position that Lindsay was wounded.
He was sent to hospital in Malta for treatment, but he died on August 6, 1915.
Lindsay was buried at Shrapnel Valley Cemetery (Plot II, Row A, Grave 37), Anzac, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey.
On his grave are the words He “Gave His Life So That We Might Live.”
He is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial roll of honour on panel 54.
Lindsay is remembered on the Horsham Honour Roll.
Lindsay had two brother’s Percy Victor and Gerald Stanley Wallis served in the Australian Infantry Battalion.
From The Horsham Times, Friday, August 27, 1915, page 5, was an article published on the death of Private Lindsay Wallis.
Private Lindsay Wallis was the second Horsham volunteer to give his life for his country on the soil of Gallipoli.
A telegram conveying the news of his death was received by Mr Wallis on Wednesday.
It intimated that he had been killed in action on August 16.
The deceased, who was nearly 20 years of age, was born in Horsham in November 1895.
He was educated at Horsham State Schoolwhere he proved himself an apt pupil.
On leaving school, he was given a position in the office of Messrs Young Bros (as a clerk) and remained in the service of that firm until the outbreak of the war, when he was amongst the first to respond to the call for volunteers.
With his brother Gerald, he joined the 8th Battalion Australian Infantry, entered at Broadmeadows camp on August 17 of last year, and left for Egypt with the first contingent.
He took part in the famous landing near Gaba Tepi and went through this campaign unscathed until May 8, when he was wounded and invalided to military hospital in Malta.
Recovering rapidly, he returned to the firing line, where he remained until his death.
Lindsay was quite unassuming in his manner, being of a rather studious turn of mind.
His conduct was always exemplary, and his career had been watched with interest by his fellow townspeople, all of whom will feel the deepest sympathy for the bereaved father.
His brother Gerald is still in the firing line, and another brother, Percy, is in training in Victoria.
When news of the lad’s death was made known in Horsham, the flags at May and Miller’s foundry, at the Fire Brigade station and at Messrs Young Bros office were flown at half-mast.
An additional manifestation of local esteem was afforded on Wednesday evening, when the Horsham Borough Band, which assembled in front of the Townhall, prior to the picture entertainment, played the hymn “Nearer, My God to Thee.”
With thanks: Sally Bertram, RSL Military History Library. Contact Sally at sj.bertram@hotmail.com or call 0409 351 940.
