Robert James HORGAN

Service Number = 2590

Date of Death = 19 August 1957

Rank = Private

Unit = 8th Battalion

Age = 75

Location = Ballarat New Cemetery, Church of England G, Section 07, Row 2, Grave 25

Robert James HORGAN (SN 2590) from Yarrowee Street in Ballarat East, was born at Daylesford. As a 25 year old railway employee he enlisted in Ballarat on June 9th 1915. With the 8th Reinforcements 8th Battalion he embarked from Melbourne on September 10th aboard the Makarini. His voyage was not without incident, and while at sea he was charged with ‘conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline in that he 1. Questioned the authority of an NCO, and 2. Used improper language’. He joined the 8th Battalion at Anzac just two weeks before the Gallipoli evacuation was completed. In March 1916 he reached France where, on July 24th he was wounded, sustaining a gunshot wound to his left foot. He was evacuated to hospital in England and while his wound was not assessed as serious he did not rejoin his battalion, now in Belgium, until October 1917. In February 1918 he was withdrawn to hospital in England suffering from Trench Fever. He was then returned to Australia on the Port Darwin and disembarked at Sydney on August 17th 1918. He died in August 1957 aged 75.