DOW

Sydney⁽¹⁾ was born in Bacchus Marsh, VIC in 1893 to Sarah Jane Osborne. Sydney married Theresa Josephine Dunn in Sydney, NSW in 1915 and they had at least one son, Sydney Oswald.

Sydney enlisted at Cootamundra, NSW in the AIF, 11^th Reinforcements, 1^st Battalion on the 24^th of July 1915, aged just under 22. He embarked from Sydney aboard the HMAT A32 Themistocles in October, disembarking in Egypt some time later.

In February 1916 he transferred to the 53^rd Battalion and then in March to the 5^th Pioneer Battalion, B Company where he was promoted to Corporal. Two months later Sydney was promoted to Sergeant before embarking from Alexandria, Egypt in June, disembarking several days later at Marseilles, France.

In October 1916 Sydney was on his way to the trenches some two or three miles away - near Fleurs, France - when he was hit by a shell fragment. Severely wounded he was carried to a Dressing Station where he died a few hours later. He was buried in a shell hole with four others. He was later exhumed and reinterred at Caterpillar Valley Military Cemetery, Longueval, France, plot 13, row A , grave 38.

He is listed on the Bacchus Marsh & District Roll of Honour and the Roll of Honour for pupils of Parwan State School. He is also remembered in the Coimadai Avenue of Honour.

Notes

1. He was born Sydney James Osborne. However in 1895 his mother married James McPherson. He enlisted with the name Sydney Oswald McPherson.