Light: Henry Lloyd
The eldest son of John and Jane Light, Henry was born in Coromandel Valley, South Australia on 28th April 1891.
On his enlistment at Keswick on 3rd August 1915, he was 5’6” (168cm) tall, weighed 119lbs (54kg), had blue eyes, brown hair and was a member of the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church. He had been employed as a painter/decorator and had served in the Blackwood Light Horse Militia for 18 months.
Private Light, 3202, of the 27th Battalion reinforcements departed for overseas service from Adelaide aboard the HMAT Medic on 12th January 1916.
After arriving in Egypt in February, he entered into normal training before being transferred to France a month later. Light became ill with Typhoid and Mumps, which saw him transferred to England in June to recover in hospital.
It wasn’t until mid-November 1916 that he re-joined the 27th in France.
In May 1917 the 27th Battalion saw action in the second battle of Bullecourt where Pte Light was wounded in the left arm by rifle fire. This wound took several months to heal and he wasn’t able to rejoin his unit until August.
The 27th saw further action during September and October in the battles at Passchendaele, Ypres, Belgium. The Australian forces suffered fearful casualties there, amongst them being Pte H.L. Light who was killed at Broodseindre Ridge on 7th Oct 1917.
His body was recovered for burial and lies in the Tyne Cot Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium in Plot 23, Row G, No. 12. A photograph of him is included on the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church’s Roll of Honour that is displayed at Blackwood RSL. He is also listed on the Coromandel Valley Public School’s Roll of Honour and the War Memorial.
Henry Light’s three younger brothers, Percy, Gerald and Eric also enlisted. All served in the 27th Battalion and returned home safely from overseas service for discharged in 1919.
Research by Geoff Lock, 2015
