Lieutenant Eustace Douglas Barlow, the son of Arthur Eustace Barlow and Irene Margaret Barlow (nee Godsall), was born at Toowoomba in Queensland on 2^nd August 1913.  He was educated at the Toowoomba Grammar School.  At the age of 26 years and 9 months he voluntarily enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Toowoomba on 21^st May 1940 after swearing the statutory oath that he would serve for the duration of the war and an additional twelve months.  He had previously served as a Lieutenant in the Citizen Military Forces in the 11^th Light Horse Regiment.  At the time of enlistment he was unmarried, employed as a Grazier and residing at Bathampton, Hannaford.  His physical description was that he had brown eyes and brown hair.  He stated that he was of the Roman Catholic religion.  He gave his next of kin as his father, Captain Arthur Eustace Barlow, 64 Wirra Wirra Street, Toowoomba.

Lieutenant Eustace Barlow was allotted the regimental number of QX5580 and allocated to the 7^th Division Cavalry.  He joined the Northern Command A.I.F. Reception Depot at Enoggera on 21^st May 1940.  He joined the 7^th Division Cavalry at Redbank Camp on 23^rd May 1940 and was promoted to the rank of Acting Sergeant.  He was admitted to the Camp Dressing Station suffering from rubella on 11^th July 1940 and was subsequently granted sick leave during the period 15^th July until 21^st July 1940.  He was granted pre-embarkation leave during the period 14^th November until 27^th November 1940 to finalize his personal affairs and farewell his family prior to being sent overseas for service in the Australian Imperial Force.  He left Queensland and proceeded to join the Cavalry Wing in Eastern Command in New South Wales on 5^th December 1940.

Lieutenant Eustace Barlow was commissioned as a Probationary Lieutenant and attached for duty with the School of Mechanics at the Australian Army Fighting Vehicle School at Southern Command in Victoria on 5^th April 1941.  He left the School and proceeded by rail transport to Eastern Command in New South Wales.  He joined the Eastern Command Cavalry Training School on 31^st May 1941.  He embarked from Sydney in New South Wales with the 7^th Division Cavalry Regiment on 2^nd September 1941 and disembarked in the Middle East on 23^rd September 1941.  He attended and qualified with distinction a course of instruction at the Australian Imperial Force (Middle East) Regimental Officers’ School during the period 28^th September until 12^th October 1941.  He joined the 7^th Division Cavalry Regiment in the Middle East on 28^th November 1941.  He embarked with his regiment from Suez on the ship “S.S. Mendoza” attached to the Headquarters of the 7^th Division Cavalry Regiment for return to Australia to meet the Japanese threat.  He was transhipped to the “S.S. Orcades” at Colombo on 28^th February 1942 and disembarked at Adelaide in South Australia on 15^th March 1942.  He attended a 1^st Australian Corps School of Instruction where he studied ground to air communication during the period 6^th August until 15^th August 1942.

Lieutenant Eustace Barlow embarked for service in New Guinea from Brisbane in Queensland on the ship “S.S. Ashasia Nimokos” on 15^th September 1942 and he disembarked from the ship at Port Moresby on 12^th October 1942.  The 2^nd/7^th Cavalry Regiment left behind its Bren Gun carriers in Port Moresby and was flown to Popondetta to reinforce units there fighting the Japanese.  He was killed in action at Huggins’ and James’ Roadblocks in the Battle of the Sanananda Track on 19^th December 1942.   At the time of his death Eustace Barlow was 29 years of age.  He was buried in the field on 22^nd January 1943.  His remains were later reburied in the Soputa War Cemetery on 13^th May 1943.   His remains were finally interred in the Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery and his headstone contains the family inscription of:  “Loved son of Captain & Mrs Eustace Barlow of Toowoomba Queensland”.  His name is commemorated on Panel No. 12 at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and locally on the Toowoomba Grammar School World War 2 Honour Board.

Australian War Memorial photograph 014175
2nd/7th Cavalry Regiment members in a forward section post in the Sanananda Area.

Toowoomba Grammar School archive records show that he enrolled as a day student on 6^th July 1925 and that he left the School on 4^th December 1927.  His parent was shown as Mr Arthur Eustace Barlow, The Range, Toowoomba.

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