Born in Nyngan, NSW in 1893, Victor was the youngest of 6 children to Augustus and Laura Lyne. Tragically both parents died at Nyngan in 1910 and it seems the children gravitated to Sydney.
Victor was working as a bank clerk at Gloucester when he enlisted with the 4th Battalion on the 6th of October 1914, aged 22years 8 months. As his parents were both deceased gave his next of kin ad his brother, Romeo Lyne of Penrith, NSW. On the day of enlistment, he moved from the 1/Recruit 4 Battalion to 4th Battalion C Company with a change of service number from 1140 to 1284. Forming part of the 1st Brigade, attached to the 1st Division, the battalion concentrated at Randwick, Sydney.
After only two months training, the battalion was among the first Australian units to be deployed overseas. Embarking aboard the ‘HMAT A32 Themistocles’ from Melbourne on the 24th of December 1914, they arrived in Egypt on the 2nd of December 1914. After this the battalion undertook further training and also took part in the defence of the Suez Canal.
The Battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove on the 25th of April 1915 as part of the second and third waves. In the following days there were several failed attacks and counterattacks by both sides. The Turks were the first to try on the 27th of April, followed by the ANZACs who tried to advance overnight on the 1st/2nd of May. The Turkish third attack on Anzac Cove on the 19th of May was the worst defeat of them all. Ottoman losses were so severe that a truce was organised on the 24 May, to bury the dead lying in no man’s land. As one soldier recalled “The stench round the trenches where the dead had been lying for weeks was awful, some of the bodies were mere skeletons.’ After this, the Turks ceased frontal attacks and the struggle consisted of only local or diversionary attacks. It was during this time that Victor was killed in action on the 24th of June 1915.
His personal effects returned to his brother consisted of: Disc, Watch, Belt, Testament, Diary, Letter, Writing Pad.
