English: Studio portrait of NX599 (previously NX33033) Private Vasil (Vassil/Basil) Albert 'Babe' Lucas. Born 21 September 1924 to Henry and Alice Lucas, Vasil, as one of 15 children, quickly acquired the nickname ‘Babe’. On 20 of June 1940, Vasil, aged 15 and his brother Cecil, aged 17, raised their age to enlist in the Australian Army at Paddington, NSW. Pte NX33033 Vasil Lucas and Pte Cecil Lucas were discharged on 18 November 1940 when their true ages were discovered. They re-enlisted with the 2/3rd Battalion in April 1941, Vasil stating his year of birth as 1920 and Cecil appropriating his brother Joseph’s identity. NX599 Pte Vasil Lucas served with the 2/3rd Battalion in Middle East and later in New Guinea on the Kokoda Trail. On 15th October 1942 he is recorded in unit diaries as being taken to 2/4th Field Ambulance Mobile Dressing Station at Myola Lakes, exhibiting PUO (Pyrexia of unknown origin) and then discharged on the 25th October to Recovery Camp. On the 25nd of November he was admitted to 2/9th Australian General Hospital suffering Malaria and Scrub Typhus. He passed away the same day and is buried at Bomana Cemetery in Port Moresby.

Family lore states he was killed when the advanced dressing station to which he had been admitted was strafed by Japanese aircraft fire.

In addition to Vasil and Cecil, seven more of the Lucas brothers, Henry Junior, Lance, Bill, Rufus, Ronald, Dudley and Joseph also served in the Second World War. NX37493 Dudley (Dick) Henley Lucas, 2/30th Battalion was killed in action in Malaya on 15 January 1942. Portraits of all the men can be viewed at P00322.001 to P00322.009.