confirmed
Born: 21 April 1888
Died: 3 November 1972
Reginald John Albert Travers initially served as an intelligence officer and aide-de-camp to Colonel (later Major-General) William Holmes, his father-in-law, who led the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force that took over German possessions in the Western Pacific in September 1914.
Holmes subsequently went to Gallipoli and the Western Front, first commanding the 5th Infantry Brigade and then the 4th Division, AIF. He was killed in action in France on 2 July 1917.
Travers distinguished himself in the Pacific campaign, in particular during the first engagement by Australians with German troops that led to the capture of the German wireless station at Bita Paka, New Britiain. He went on to serve at Gallipoli with the 17th Battalion and was wounded in action there. He served with distinction in France and Belgium with the 17th Battalion and later in command of the 26th Battalion.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his service with the ANMEF and a bar to his DSO for his service in France and Belgium.
After returning to Australia, he was the organising secretary for the Sydney Anzac Memorial Appeal.
Son-in-law of William Holmes and brother-in-law of Basil Holmes. [JSB]
- Ranks
- Birth record
- Death record
- Life event
- Address
- Relationships
- Organisations
- Main sources
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- TRAVERS Reginald John Albert : Service Number - Lieutenant Colonel : Place of Birth - Glen Innes NSW : Place of Enlistment - 2 Md N/A : Next of Kin - (Wife) TRAVERS Dorothy (NAA file)
- Reginald John Albert Travers (photograph)
- Travers, Reginald John Albert - Service Number: Unknown, Date of Birth: 21/04/1888 [NAA photograph] (webpage)
- The Battle on the Road to Bita Paka (webpage)
- Lieutenant Colonel Reginald John Albert Travers, DSO and bar [AWM profile] (webpage)
- Commendation for services in action during operations against German Possessions in the Western Pacific [London Gazette, 11 January 1916, p 449] (webpage)
- Awarded the Distinguished Service Order [Edinburgh Gazette Supplement, 5 June 1916, p996] (website)
- Awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette Supplement, 1 January 1918, p17] (website)
- Papers of General William Holmes and Colonel R. J. A. Travers, ca. 1900-1950, mainly relating to World War I and Anzac Memorial Appeal [State Library of NSW] (webpage)
- N.S.W. MILITARY FORCES. CHANGES AND PROMOTIONS. [1909] (newspaper article)
- A MILITARY WEDDING. (newspaper article)
- EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. RUSH TO VOLUNTEER. OFFICERS APPOINTED. (newspaper article)
- AFTER THE FIGHTING SOME MEN AND THEIR WORK WHAT COLONEL HOLMES HAS DONE. (BY OUR SPECIAL COMMISSIONER.) September 22. (newspaper article)
- NEW GUINEA. FRIEDRICH WILHELMSHAFEN. CAPTURE BY AUSTRALIANS. HOISTING THE FLAG. (BY OUR SPECIAL COMMISSIONER.) (newspaper article)
- NEW BRITAIN. LETTER FROM COLONEL HOLMES. GALLANTRY OF THE TROOPS. (newspaper article)
- RABAUL. FIRST ENGLISH NEWSPAPER. (newspaper article)
- MAJOR R. TRAVERS. (newspaper article)
- Mainly About People. [Wounded in action] (newspaper article)
- MEN OF THE DARDANELLES. MAJOR TRAVERS. (newspaper article)
- CASUALTIES. SEVENTY-SEVENTH LIST. NEW SOUTH WALES. WOUNDED. (newspaper article)
- MEN OF THE DARDANELLES. MAJOR R. J. A. TRAVERS. (newspaper article)
- PERSONAL. [Wounded and in England] (newspaper article)
- AUSTRALIAN WOUNDED TREATMENT IN ENGLAND. A GLOWING ACCOUNT. List of Injured Officers. LONDON, Oct. 7. (newspaper article)
- AUSTRALIAN NAVY. Distinguished Service Awards. (newspaper article)
- PACIFIC OPERATIONS. Australians Rewarded. (newspaper article)
- CASUALTIES. NEW SOUTH WALES. RETURNED TO DUTY. (newspaper article)
- HONOURS. FOR AUSTRALASIANS. LONDON, June 2. (newspaper article)
- LIEUTENANT-COLONEL REGINALD TRAVERS. (newspaper article)
- AUSTRALIANS HONOURED. (newspaper article)
- SOLDIERS OF THE NORTH At Home and Abroad. (newspaper article)
- SOLDIERS OF THE NORTH At Home and Abroad. (newspaper article)
- AUSTRALIA'S FIRST HIT. (newspaper article)
- FIRST EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. (newspaper article)
- FIRST EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. (newspaper article)
- German New Guinea Story of Military Occupation Report by Defence Minister (newspaper article)
- Commemorations
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- TRAVERS R. J. A. on the North Face of the Mosman War Memorial
- Travers, R J A on the St Clement's World War 1 Roll of Honour