"May we prove worthy of his noble sacrifice"
Sons of Henry and Emily GAINEY
www.awm.gov.au
P06913.002
Courtesy of Tom and Lila Vincent
www.awm.gov.au
P06913.002
Courtesy of Tom and Lila Vincent
GALL, Leslie William John
During the next eighteen months, in France and Belgium, the 8th Battalion took part in trench warfare at Armentieres, the Battles of Pozières, the Somme, Second Bullecourt, the third Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Menin Road
On 20 September 1917, the 8th Battalion took part in the assault on the Menin Road. (Like thousands of other Australians, Arthur would have marched to the front line through the ruined city of Ypres and out through the Menin Gate.) After many previous days of artillery fire, the infantry attacked the German lines with overwhelming success and within four hours almost all the objectives were captured. This victory carried a high cost - a little over 5000 Australian casualties - including Arthur Gallahar.
On the morning of 20 September 1917 Arthur was shot in the head. The casualty form described the injury as a "severe gunshot wound to the lower jaw". He was treated by the 6th Field Ambulance and then walked to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station, both in Belgium.
The next day he was transferred to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at le Tréport in France. On 27 September he was taken on board the hospital ship "St. Denis" to England for further treatment.
Arthur was admitted to the Essex County Hospital in Colchester on 27 September and was under treatment there for nearly four months. In January 1918 he was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital for recuperation. Having recovered sufficiently, he was given two weeks furlough on 14 February 1918 and ordered to report to No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth for convalescence and to prepare for return to Australia. He embarked London on 21 April 1918 on board HMAT A29 "Suevic" and disembarked at Melbourne on 7 June 1918. Arthur was formally discharged from the AIF as medically unfit on 31 July 1918 at Melbourne. His mother Caroline died in Benalla just 10 days later, aged 57.
He was awarded the British War Medal (No.31545) and the Victory Medal (No.31331) for his service during the War. His AIF service was reckoned as 1088 days including 892 days "abroad". Unfortunately these medals were destroyed when our house was burnt down in the January 2003 bushfires.
Courtesy of Don Gallahar
On 20 September 1917, the 8th Battalion took part in the assault on the Menin Road. (Like thousands of other Australians, Arthur would have marched to the front line through the ruined city of Ypres and out through the Menin Gate.) After many previous days of artillery fire, the infantry attacked the German lines with overwhelming success and within four hours almost all the objectives were captured. This victory carried a high cost - a little over 5000 Australian casualties - including Arthur Gallahar.
On the morning of 20 September 1917 Arthur was shot in the head. The casualty form described the injury as a "severe gunshot wound to the lower jaw". He was treated by the 6th Field Ambulance and then walked to the 17th Casualty Clearing Station, both in Belgium.
The next day he was transferred to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at le Tréport in France. On 27 September he was taken on board the hospital ship "St. Denis" to England for further treatment.
Arthur was admitted to the Essex County Hospital in Colchester on 27 September and was under treatment there for nearly four months. In January 1918 he was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital for recuperation. Having recovered sufficiently, he was given two weeks furlough on 14 February 1918 and ordered to report to No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth for convalescence and to prepare for return to Australia. He embarked London on 21 April 1918 on board HMAT A29 "Suevic" and disembarked at Melbourne on 7 June 1918. Arthur was formally discharged from the AIF as medically unfit on 31 July 1918 at Melbourne. His mother Caroline died in Benalla just 10 days later, aged 57.
He was awarded the British War Medal (No.31545) and the Victory Medal (No.31331) for his service during the War. His AIF service was reckoned as 1088 days including 892 days "abroad". Unfortunately these medals were destroyed when our house was burnt down in the January 2003 bushfires.
Courtesy of Don Gallahar
GARDINER, Thomas William Norman
GARNER, George
GARVIN, John
He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on the 2nd October 1917 before Passchendaele and was killed trying to take the Passchendaele Ridge on the 26th October 1917. In August 1917 Harry had received his third Echelon for his three years of service.
Various Red Cross reports from eye witnesses to Harry’s death give some conflicting information. It would appear that it was his own fire that killed him and injured a fellow officer but some witnesses said he was buried others that he was not and the ground was lost the next day to the Germans. The Service records have a copy of the letter sent to his family explaining that his body could not be found. The service records also have various entries dated from December 1920 that show Harry’s body was reinterred at Passchendaele New British Cemetery Plot 11 Row F. It can be presumed that the War Graves Commission found his initial burial and reburied Harry in the Cemetery.
Courtesy Lyn Myles and Bev Mappin
Various Red Cross reports from eye witnesses to Harry’s death give some conflicting information. It would appear that it was his own fire that killed him and injured a fellow officer but some witnesses said he was buried others that he was not and the ground was lost the next day to the Germans. The Service records have a copy of the letter sent to his family explaining that his body could not be found. The service records also have various entries dated from December 1920 that show Harry’s body was reinterred at Passchendaele New British Cemetery Plot 11 Row F. It can be presumed that the War Graves Commission found his initial burial and reburied Harry in the Cemetery.
Courtesy Lyn Myles and Bev Mappin