Oscar Cresswell Taite (SN 272) born in Melbourne, was a 20 year old motor mechanic when he enlisted on August 22nd 1914. Assigned to the 8th Battalion he embarked aboard the Benalla on October 19th and sailed to Egypt then Gallipoli. In August 1915 he was evacuated dangerously ill, to hospital in Bombay, suffering from enteric. He also suffered influenza, and it was decided he should return to Australia for three months ‘change’. He returned aboard the Ulysses, disembarking on February 5th 1916. He re-embarked two months later and had to re-enlist at sea due the loss of his original attestation documentation. In August 1916 he reached France attached to the 60th Battalion but was only there for three weeks before being evacuated to the Bulford Hospital in England. He was absent without leave from October 26th and as no trace of him was found he was deemed to be a deserter and was eventually discharged on July 21st 1920 ‘illegal absentee’. A note on his file indicates he may have been seen in America in 1927.