Norman Carey Lucas was born in Sydney in 1893, the younger son of William Lucas, architect and his wife, Agnes, nee Arnot. He was in Edinburgh when the war broke out and enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles, where he was placed in the 6th Battalion.
Excerpt from The Barber Family Chronicle, p. 25: son of Agnes Arnot (1853-193-), wife of William Lucas, architect; at one time they lived in South Africa, later East Melbourne.
Agnes was the sister of younger sister of Mrs. E McLean. When a memorial for the 1914-18 war was being planned, William Lucas submitted a plan which came second to that of the present Shrine of Rememberance in Melbourne.
Both sons, Gilbert and Norman Lucas, were Rhodes Scholars, the younger son a particularly brilliant scientist. Gaining his M.A. at the University of Natal, he moved to Edinburgh to take his B. Sc. degree and there had been awarded important scholarships which he did not live to use. Enlisting in the British Army in 1914, he was in action at Gallipoli and was killed at Salonika in 1916 at the age of 23 years.
The father, Wm. Lucas, in 1920 edited a book 'Life and Letters of Norman Carey Lucas'. Amongst those who had written to his grieving parents were:- The King of England, The Keeper of the Privy Purse, Lord Selbourne, ex-High Commissioner of South Africa, Lieut. General Sir Robert Baden Powell, the Primate of All Ireland and the Rt. Hon. Andrew Fisher, High Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Australia.
A notice in The Argus on 9 November, 1916, reads: Lucas - Died of wounds in Macedonia, 2nd inst. , Norman Carey Lucas, M.A., B.Sc., and lieutenant Irish Rifles (sometime temporary Captain), younger son of William and Agnes Lucas, Hotham House, 175 Hotham St., East Melbourne, aged 23 years.
He is buried at Lahana Military Cemetery, Lachanos, Greece. The Grave Registration Document reads: Norman Carey Lucas, 2/11/1916. Died of wounds received at Patrol Wood 31st October. Son of William and Agnes Lucas (nee Arnot) of Hotham House, 175, Hotham Street, East Melbourne Australia. M.A., B. Sc. (Edinburgh University) Winner of Natal (S. Africa) Government and Carnegie Scholarships. Served at the Dardanelles, Serbia, and Macedonia. Previously served with Scottish Rifles.
His book, Life and Letters of Norman Carey Lucas, M.A., B.Sc. (Edinburgh) was published by G.A. Green Publisher, 1920. It is 257 pages long and a copy is held in the National Library of Australia.
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll
The Argus, Death Notice 9 Nov., 1916, p.1
Google The Barber Family Chronicle, p.25
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Lahana Military Cemetery
Lahana Military Cemetery website
The Long, Long Trail, The British Army in the Great War:Photograph of 1st Royal Irish Battalion
East Melbourne Historical Society: Photograph of Hotham House, 175 Hotham St., East Melbourne
