Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Lewis George CARDY was born 1884 in Fulham, London. His parents were Elijah CARDY and Alice SPOONER.
[ Elijah CARDY, 1853-1917
Elijah CARDY was born in 1853, to Isaac CARDY and Harriet BURROWS.
Elijah married Alice SPOONER in 1880, at age 27.
Alice SPOONER was born in 1856, in Middlesex, London, England.
Elijah died in 1917, at age 63]
Children of Elijah and Alice CARDY
(*Birth Confirmed with Free BMD UK; # listed in UK Census 1901)
*Charles Isaac b 1880 d? before 1901
*William Isaac b 1881 d? before 1901
*#Sidney Elijah b 1883 d 1951
*#Lewis George b 1884 d 1917
*#Albert Edward b 1886 d 1945
*#Hilda b 1889
*#Mabel Frances b 1891
#Elsie b 1894
*#Stanley b 1896
#Arthur B b1899
In 1907, when he was aged 23, it appears that Lewis CARDY travelled from London to the USA. After working there for about 2 years, he returned from New York, arriving at Southampton docks in December 1909.
National Archives of Australia
World War 1 Records – Enlistment papers
Lewis George CARDY - born 1884 in the Parish of London, UK
Previous occupation in South Australia was farmhand. He was single when he enlisted in Sydney in April 1916.
At the time he enlisted, Lewis had been living in the small town of Petina, in South Australia.
His sister, Mabel Cardy, was listed as his next of kin.
She was living at “Bonny Muir”, Belmore Road, Penshurst, NSW
Lewis was described as being 31 years and 9 months old; 5’6 ½”tall; weight 132 lbs; sallow complexion; grey eyes; dark brown hair; religion: Church of England.

After his training of about 6 weeks in Dubbo Camp, he was sent on board the troopship “Aeneas” to England, leaving Sydney on 30 September 1916 and arriving at Plymouth on 19 November 1916.
On 13 June 1917, he was sent, as part of the 14th Training Battalion, to France, where he joined the 5th Reinforcement of the 54th Infantry Battalion, A.I.F, in July 1917.
Only 3 ½ months later, on about the 18 October, 1917, Lewis Cardy was killed in action in the Field.
Newspaper reports 1915 - 1918
7 August 1915 - In the newspaper the West Coast Sentinel, (S.A.), L. G. Cardy was reported as having played cricket for the Petina* team. Other men/boys were farewelled in the article as being off to volunteer for the War effort.

11 March 1916: Seven months later, in the West Coast Sentinel, (S.A.):-
“Send Off to Local Volunteers, Petina.*
During the evening, Mr L. G. Cardy, who leaves by train on Friday for NSW to enlist, gave a bicycle for disposal. Proceeds to go to the piano fund.”
*Petina is north west of Streaky Bay, SA.
1 December 1917 'WAR PERSONAL ITEMS.', West Coast Sentinel
Mr G. P. Roberts, of Petina, has just received intelligence of the death in France, in action, of Sgnlr. L. G. Cardy, who for a couple of years previous to enlisting was employed by him. The deceased soldier, who was a general favorite, went into camp in Sydney in March, 1916, and sailed for England in August of the same year. After further training on Salisbury Plain, he entered the signallers and went to France in March last. He was born in England, and had been in Australia about four years. A sister (Mrs Denovan), residing in Melbourne, is the only relative in Australia.
(By November 1918, the newspaper was reporting that at least six men from Petina had been killed during the war.)


1917 '359th CASUALTY LIST.
St George Call (Kogarah, NSW : 1914 - 1923), 1 December, p. 4
359th CASUALTY LIST.
Killed.
Cpl. Wane Cherrie, Arncliffe. Pte. Lewis George Cardy, Penshurst. Pte. Geo. Robinson, Kogarah.

12 January, 1918 The Sydney Morning Herald
Pte. Lewis George Cardy. Penshurst, 18/10/17 (previously reported Killed in Action 17/10/17)
According to Lewis’ AIF records, he is memorialised on the Menin Gate Memorial, Part 6 (Australians A-D)

His details record: CARDY, Pte. Lewis George, 2389. 54th Battalion. 18th October 1917. Age 35. Son of Elijah Cardy and Alice Spooner Cardy. Native of London, England.
According to Red Cross WW1 records, a witness stated that Pte Lewis Cardy had been killed “by a whizz-bang* whilst in his dugout in the front-line to the right of Zonnebeke. He was buried close by, by a party from the company. There was no cross erected at the time.”
*Whizz-bang = a high velocity shell, named from the noise of the rapid flight and explosion.

The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing is one of four British and Commonwealth memorials to the missing in the battlefield area of the Ypres Salient in Belgian Flanders. The memorial bears the names of 54,389 officers and men from United Kingdom and Commonwealth Forces (except New Zealand and Newfoundland) who fell in the Ypres Salient before 16th August 1917 and who have no known grave.
Lewis Cardy is also commemorated in the Ceduna (South Australia) Honour Roll.
CARDY Lewis George 2389

Rank: Private
Unit: 54th Battalion
Born: London, England
Son of Elijah & Alice Spooner Cardy
Next of Kin: Sister - Mabel Cardy, Bonny Muir, Belmore Road, Penshurst, N.S.W.
Occupation prior to Enlistment: Farmer
Enlisted: 19th April 1916, Sports Ground, New South Wales
Address at Date of Enlistment: Bonny Muir, Belmore Road, Penshurst, N.S.W.
Embarked for Overseas 30th September 1916 from Sydney, N.S.W. per HMAT "Aeneas"
Served in France
Killed in Action 18th October 1917, Belgium
Memorialised: Ypres Menin Gate, Belgium
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Area - Panel 158
The only relatives of Lewis CARDY that still survive in Australia are probably the descendants of his brother, Albert Cardy and of his sister, Mabel Denovan.