John Gerald Lyons was born in Ballarat East and was a Clerk by trade when he enlisted in the 31st Battalion, D Company on 19 July 1915 at the age of 23. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A62 Wandilla on 9 November 1915 and disembarked in Egypt where he was hospitalised with an eye problem. He then joined the 31st Battalion in France where, on July 16th 1916, he was wounded in action. He suffered a severe gunshot wound to his left thigh and was evacuated to the 2nd Australian General Hospital in France, and then on to the Graylingwell War Hospital at Chichester, England. Once recovered, he returned to France where he was transferred to the Pay Corps and became the Pay Sergeant for the 31st Battalion. After the war he returned to Australia on the pay staff of the Karoola, reaching Melbourne on June 24th 1919.
Tree No. 3259