Born: 20 September 1901
Died: 10 February 1949
Sidney Humphries first enlisted in the AIF on 2 March 1917, he was 15 years and 5 months old. He was allotted to the Camel Corps Reinforcements at Menangle Park but was discharged on 26 April 1917 as "unlikely to become an efficient soldier".
Three days later, he again enlisted in the AIF, this time as George Lewis of Pittwater Road, Manly. Lewis was his mother's family name. It is interesting that on both occasions his parents gave their consent to enlist, with no attempt on the second occasion to disguise their names. He departed from Sydney as a reinforcement for the 30th Battalion on 10 May 1917.
He had a number of disciplinary problems, probably due to his immaturity, and was found guilty for being absent on parade while on board the ship to England, and then for stealing and being absent without leave while at the AIF training camp at Hurdcott, Wiltshire.
He was reallotted from the 30th Battlaion and joined the 35th Battalion in France on 1 January 1918. He was wounded in action (severe bullet wound to his right leg) on 4 April 1918 when his battalion was among those defending Villers-Bretonneux from a massive German attack.
He was evacuated to England and sent to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, Middlesex. After treatment he was sent on leave in late May 1918 and then on to the AIF camp at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire to convalesce.
On 7 May 1918, following advice of her son being wounded, his mother wrote to the military authorites about his whereabouts. She also advised that he had enlisted at the age of 15 years and 7 months with her consent. She added:
He is very tall and big. His great grandfather was in the Battle of Waterloo and his grandfather was in the Crimea war.
It is not possible to say whether this letter prompted his decision on 30 July 1918, at the age of 16 years and 10 months, to declare that his real name was Sidney Humphries and his date of birth was 20 September 1901.
Action was taken to return him to Australia for being under age. He departed England on 5 November 1918 and arrived in Sydney on 2 January 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on 6 June 1919. This delay is presumably due to him receiving additional medical treatment following his return.
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