Name
Louis Carl Roth (MC)
4 December 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/10/1918
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
Australian Pioneers
2nd
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Military Cross
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TINCOURT NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
V. D. 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
ELDER SON OF LOUIS AND MARGARET ELIZABETH ROTH OF HAMPTON, MELBOURNE
UK & Other Memorials
Digswell House Australian Hospital Memorial, St John's Church, Digswell
Pre War
Louis Carl Roth was born on 4 December 1894 in Sale, Victoria, the elder son of Louis and Margaret Roth, later of "Maison Louis". Grenville Street, Hampton, Victoria.
He was educated at Caulfield Grammar School, Victoria and won open scholarships to the Working Men's College, Melbourne. He had been a lieutenant in the senior cadets and later, in the Citizen Forces.
He lived at 53 Orrong Road, Elsternwick, Victoria and worked as a Civil Engineer and Surveyor.
Wartime Service
He enlisted as a Lieutenant in the 22nd Battalion, B Company and his unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on 10 May 1915.
He served in Egypt, Gallipoli and the Western Front. He was in England for some time on duty at No. 2 Command Depot, Weymouth and also with the Pioneer Training Battalion before being promoted to Captain of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion on 13 December 1916.
He was Mentioned in Despatches in 1917 and awarded the Military Cross in 1918. He died at the Battle of Montbrehain when 30 officers and 400 other ranks became casualties. He was among the ten officers who were killed on 6 October.
He died from wounds received at Roisel, France.
Additional Information
His headstone inscription reads: "ELDER SON OF LOUIS AND MARGARET ELIZABETH ROTH OF HAMPTON, MELBOURNE". The Australian War Memorial has a collection of photostat copies of approximately 110 letters written by him to his relatives during the war years.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
aif.adfa.edu.au, Australian War Memorial
