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Abraham Lyden was a 21 year old labourer from Ridgeway when he volunteered for enlistment in November 1915. On being accepted he was allotted to the 8th Field Company Engineers departing Australia on board the HMAT 67 Orsova. With the enlistment of his youngest brother Cecil in April 1916, Annie Lyden lost two sons to the war. Annie had given birth to 12 children.
Now in her late sixties it would be expected that Abraham and Cecil as the youngest sons would have been supporting their mother since leaving school at the age of 14. In December 1915, prior to leaving Australia, Abraham and his cousin Samuel Lyden were both given a send off by the Hibernian Society. Moonah. Both boys were members. The two boys were each presented with a ‘handsome wrist watch’ and the promise of a ‘hearty’ welcome on their return from active service.
In late August 1918 the 8th Field Company Engineers were working between Foucaucourt en Santerre and Villers Carbonnel a short distance from the Cannal de Somme. While the unit suffered only a small number of casualties, it is not possible to discern much more information about what happened to Sapper Lyden except that he sustained shrapnel wounds to his right side. He was taken to the 14th Field Ambulance where he died. He was initially buried at Lone Farm (House) Cemetery along with 34 other Australians who had died during August 1918. But in 1920 following the enlargement of Heath Cemetery near Harbonnieres, the remains of Sapper Abraham Lyden were reinterred.
Abraham Lyden made a will before embarking for overseas in which he left his entire estate to his mother ensuring that she would receive his personal effects and any money due to him as a result of his service.