Aircraft Repair Section, 1st Wing Australian Flying Corps
Lindsay Gordon Cubbins was born on 19 June 1897, to James and Jessie Cubbins of Ails, 24 John Street, South Street, Kilda, Victoria, Australia.
After completing his education, he undertook an apprenticeship with City Motor Body Works, Melbourne, as a motor engineer. He had some military experience as a Cadet and for two years was a part time soldier with the Citizen Forces. He relinquished his apprenticeship on 22 October 1917 to attest for military service with the Australian Imperial Force and was placed in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) Special Draft No 1. He was aged 20 years and four months and gave his occupation as a ‘motor trimmer’.
He joined up with his unit at Laverton on 29 October 1917, as a private and embarked from Melbourne aboard the HMAT Indarra on 26 November 1917, as an Air Mechanic Second Class. He arrived in Egypt on 26 December 1917, docking at Suez, before proceeding to Alexandria by train on 22 January 1918, arriving the following day. After a six day stay he left Alexandria, aboard the HMAT Abbassiah bound for Taranto, where there was a brief stop before proceeding to Cherbourg, arriving on 14 February. On the following day he was aboard the HMAT Prince George, for the overnight voyage across the Channel to Southampton.
Once in the UK he was posted to the AFC Training Depot at Halton Camp , Wendover, Buckinghamshire, before being given a more permanent posting to Aircraft Repair Section (ARS), 1st Wing at Tern Hill, Shropshire on 4 March. There, on 1 May 1918, he was promoted to Air Mechanic First Class.
On 8 August 1918 he arrived at ARS 1st Wing HQ at Tetbury (probably actually located at nearby Leighterton aerodrome). Upon arrival he was taken sick and admitted to the Cottage Hospital in Tetbury with appendicitis (a serious condition in those days). His condition worsened and his brother (Air Mechanic Second Class William Tennyson Cubbins, 2 Squadron, AFC) was sent for and was present when he died on 14 August 1918. He was aged 21.
Having travelled half way round the world, his stay in England had lasted barely six months. He was buried with military honours in Leighterton Church Cemetery, where a CWGC headstone now marks his grave.
Researched by Graham Adams 14 January 2018