Robert Francis O'Sullivan

   Cause of his death was Cerebral Thrombosis, Arteriosclerotic cardiac vascular/Left venticle failure.

   Another name for Robert was Dudley Francis Sullivan.

  General Notes:

According to the 1903 electoral Roll he was a Labourer resident in Narrandera.

Robert enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in Narrandera on 12th February 1917. He was 21 years of age and a Labourer. He listed his father, Thomas Denis Sullivan of Wagga Rd, Narrandera as his next of kin. Robert reported that he had had previous service with the Light Horse Corps and his application was marked "Applicant for Light Horse" at the top of the page. At the time of his enlistment Robert was 5' 11" tall, 168 lbs with a 38" chest measurement. His complexion was fair, eyes blue, and he had fair hair.

Robert embarked on the Port Sydney on the 9th May 1917, disembarking at Suez on the 20th June 1917 and joined the Moascar camp in Egypt. On the 16th July he was Taken on Strength in the A. Reserve Depot and then on the 5th September in the 3rd Battallion, 14th Company. On the 6th July 1918 he was transferred to the 15th Light Horse Regiment.

"The 15th Light Horse Regiment was formed in Palestine in June 1918 from members of the Australian companies of the Imperial Camel Corps (ICC). The ICC had been disbanded because camel-mounted troops, a valuable addition to the British forces in the deserts of Egypt and the Sinai, were not suitable for the conditions being encountered in Palestine. Although many former light horse troopers were to be found in the ranks of the ICC, large numbers had also been recruited from infantry battalions and so several months of training were needed before the 15th was fit to commence operations as a horse-mounted regiment. The new regiment, along with another regiment of former cameleers '96 the 14th '96 and a regiment of French colonial cavalry, formed the 5th Light Horse Brigade, which became part of the Australian Mounted Division.......... While waiting to embark for home, the 15th Light Horse were called back to operational duty to quell the Egyptian revolt that erupted in March 1919; order was restored in little over a month. The men of the 15th Light Horse sailed for home without their horses, which had either been shot or transferred to Indian cavalry units, on 24 July 1919. " Source: Australian War Memorial Website, http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_10577.asp

Robert had a very tough time of it during his stint in Egypt being admitted to hospital on several occasions suffering from Scabies, Tonsilitis, Pleurisy, Malaria (twice), and Influenza. He left Suez for Australia aboard the Dunluce Castle on the 18th July 1919, disembarking in Sydney on the 30th August. Robert was discharged from the AIF on the 24th January 1920.

Robert was the recipient of the British War Medal, No. 71118, and the Victory Medal, No 68235.
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"Robert went to Egypt in 1917 and was a Returned Soldier in 1919.....[He and his wife Minnie] received a Soldiers Settlement at Federal Park in 1921/22. They suffered badly with the mice plagues etc and in 1926 moved to Narrandera after selling the property and crop for £1000. Dad worked as a carter for S. Richards & Co. In the 1930's, Dad joined Vacuum Oil Co (Mobil) delivering petrol to the farms around the district until he retired in 1960." Source: Geoffrey Sullivan in Grong Grong The Spirit of a Small Town, Grong Grong History Committee, 2003.

Robert died at his son's house in Mt Pleasant, near Wollongong, NSW.

  Noted events in his life were:

• He resided at at the time of his mother's death in 1927 in Narrandera,,New South Wales,Australia.

• He resided at at the time of his father's death on 27 May 1945 in Victoria St, Narrandera, , New South Wales, Australia.

• He worked as a Petrol Tanker Driver.

Robert married Minnie Cabban, daughter of Charles Scott Cabban and Mary Jane Humphries, on 8 Dec 1920 in St Thomas C of E Church, Narrandera, , New South Wales, Australia. (Minnie Cabban was born on 9 Apr 1897 in Yass Plains, Yass, , New South Wales, Australia, died on 31 Jan 1956 in Narrandera,,New South Wales,Australia and was buried on 2 Feb 1956 in CofE Section B, Narrandera Cemetery, Narrandera, , New South Wales, Australia.)