Trooper Robert Paul, Lepperton Cemetery (1915)

Trooper 9/990 Robert (Bob) Paul was killed in action at Gallipoli on 21 August 1915 and is commemorated on this memorial at Lepperton Cemetery. 

In / Loving Memory / Of / Trooper Robert Paul / Killed in Action / At the Dardanelles 21 August 1915 / Aged 48 Years / He Gave His Best               

Bob (1867-1915) was the son of William and Isabella Paul from Lepperton. He had previously served with the NZ Mounted Rifles during the South African (Boer) War but enlisted again with the Otago Mounted Rifles on 7 March 1915, despite failing a medical test the previous month. He appears to have lied about his age on his papers, stating that he was only 39 years old when he was actually 48. Appointed acting cook for his unit after joining up in Alexandra, Robert was killed during the first assault on Hill 60 and his body was never recovered. His name appears on the Hill 60 Memorial in Turkey.