874 Corporal Albert William Gardiner
2nd Seige Battery
36th Heavy Artillery Brigade
Australian Imperial Force
This file last updated 5 August, 2021 17:42
Introduction
Albert William Gardiner is born 7 Feb 1893 in Singleton NSW, the fifth child
of John Gardiner and Anna Christina née Haling. His brother
Arthur James, also serves in WW1 with the 35th Infantry Battalion.
An unmarried carpenter, he enlists in 1916 he undergoes initial training in Newcastle and is promoted to
temporary Sergeant. This pattern recurs after he joins his Battalion in France and is
promoted to Corporal during training but reverts to Private on joining the Battalion.
Five months later he is again promoted to Corporal then Sergeant. In early 1918 he is
detached to the Overseas Training Brigade in England as Sergeant.
Rejoining the unit he is promoted to Warrant Officer Class 2 as Company Sergeant Major,
retaining that rank and appointment until his return to Australia and discharge.
He appears to have had quite a flair for command and as an instructor.
Albert marries Annie G. Winnette in TEMORA in 1922 and dies 6 Jun 1975 at the age of 82, in Newcastle.
Arthur's military documents are:
Abbreviations and Acronyms
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There is also a separate list of abbreviations which is available through the menu at
the top of the page or the hyperlink here.
There are a number of sources for tracing abbreviations used in Australian and New
Zealand service records. Those used during World War I are most likely to be identical to
British terminology and abbrevations. Those used in World War II are most likely to be
similar to US terminology and abbreviations. Those used solely within Australia,
especially regional Australia are often unique and can be impossible to find. Sometimes
a "best guess" is the only answer.
Duplicated Pages
Some of the service information may be duplicated although individual occurences
are not in the same order, use different abbreviations and are in a different hand.
This occurs when unit and headquarters records are amalgamated upon discharge or
death. It may be a source for additional information concerning the event.
Service Numbers
Service numbers in Word War I were unique to the unit (e.g. Battalion) or Corps (e.g. Artillery).
If a member changed their unit or corps and the number was already in use, the number of the
individual being transferred was given an aphabetic suffix - e.g. 1234A.
In World War II Service Numbers were unique to the State in which they were allotted, each State
having an alphabetic prefix unique to the State, eg N12345. If the individual was allotted for
overseas service, their Australian Imperial Force number was different, and an X was inserted
after the State letter, eg NX 34567.
Individuals alloted for war service did not always serve oveseas, as it was a contingency
measure.
For further, much detailed information about identity numbers for Service personnel, see
"What's In a Number" by Graham Wilson
The following information and chronological table are a summary of the entries from the
service record of Arthur Gardiner.
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1.
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What is your Name?
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1.
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Albert WIlliam Gardiner
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2.
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In or near what Parish or Town were you born?
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2.
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In the Town of Singleton
In the County of New South Wales
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3.
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Are you a natural born British Subject or a Naturalised British Subject? (N.B.— If the latter,
papers to be shown.)
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3.
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Yes, Nat Born
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4.
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What is your age?
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4.
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23 9/12 years (Born 7 Feb 1893)
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5.
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What is your trade or calling?
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5.
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Carpenter
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6.
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Are you, or have you ever been, an Apprentice? If so, where, to whom and for what period?
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6.
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No
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7.
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Are you married?
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7.
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No
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8.
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Who is your next of kin? (Address to be stated)
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8.
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(Father) John Gardiner
Springfield, WILLOWTREE via QUIRINDI, NSW
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9.
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Have you ever been convicted by the Civil Power?
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9.
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No
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10.
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Have you ever been discharged from any part of His Majesty's forces, with Ignominy, or as Incorrigible and Worthless,
or on account of Conviction of Felony, or of a Sentence of Penal Servitude, or have you dismissed with Disgrace from
the Navy?
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10.
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No
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11.
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Do you now belong to, or have you ever served in, His Majesty's army, the Marines, the Militia, the Militia Reserve,
the Territorial Force, Royal Navy, or Colonial Forces? If so, state which, and if not now serving, state the cause
of discharge.
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11.
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Yes 6th A.L. Horse, 3 years
R.A.G.A. still serving
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12.
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Have you state the whole, if any, of your previous service?
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12.
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Yes
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13.
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Have you ever been rejected as unfit for His Majesty's Service? If so, on what grounds?
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13.
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No
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14.
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(For Married Men and Widowers with children)—
Do you understand that no Separation Allowance will be issued to you before or after embarkation during your term
of service?
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14.
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—
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15.
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Ar you prepared to undergo innoculation against smallpox and enteric fever?
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15.
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Yes
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I CERTIFY that this attestation of the above-named person is correct and that the required forms
have been complied with. I according approve and appoint him to 36th (Australian) Heavy Artillery Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Rank
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Description
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Date
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Remarks
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Gunner
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Enlisted, appointed as Gunner to 36th (Australian) Heavy Artillery Group, Nos 54 and 55 Batteries
Royal Garrison Artillery AIF
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21 Nov 1916 -
31 Dec 1916
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Acting Corporal
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Promoted to Acting Corporal
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1 Jan 1917
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"VO" is a rank appointed for "Voyage Only"
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Gunner
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Last Payment [Prior to embarkation]
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9 Apr 1917
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France
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Acting Corporal
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Embarked from Melbourne on HMAT "ASCANIUS" (A11) for England
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11 May 1917
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Acting Corporal
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Disembarked Devonport UK
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20 Jul 1917
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Gunner
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Reverts to Gunner from "Voyage Only" (V.O.) Corporal on M.I. to England
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21 Jul 1917
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"Voyage Only" rank is rescinded.
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Corporal
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Gunner appointed to "DP" Cpl
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21 Jul 1917
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Gunner
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Reverts to [rank of] Gunner
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28 Jul 1917
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Gunner
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M.O. Catterick Yorks[hire]
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29 Jul 1917
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England
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Gunner
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Rfts 36th H.A. Gp MI
from Dtls Camp Pk House (Yorkshire)
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29 Jul 1917
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England
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Gunner
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Proceeds overseas to France ex 36th Hvy Reinforcements Devonport
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31 Oct 1917
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France
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Gunner
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Marched in from England to AGBD
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1 Nov 1917
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France [Rouelles]
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Gunner
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Taken on Strength of 55th (Aust) S Bty AGA
from Reinfts 36th (Aust) HA Group
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7 Nov 1917
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France
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Gunner
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Marched out to 55 S Bty
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4 Nov 1917
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AGBD
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Gunner
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Taken on Strength [of 55 Seige Bty] from Reinfs [in the field]
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4 Nov 1917
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France
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Gunner
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Still with unit [Unit now designated 2nd Seige Battery]
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France
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16 Jun 1918
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New Designation - 36th Aust Heavy Artillery Brigade
Auth, A.I.F. Order Not 1102
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Undated
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France
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Gunner
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Detached to No 4 No 4 Ord W'ksps 21 Oct 1918
Rejoined from ditto 28 Oct 1918
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France
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Gunner
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Leave from France
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29 Nov 1918 to 11 Dec 1918
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Gunner
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Rejoined from leave
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France
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14 Dec 1918
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Gunner
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Detached to Physical Training Course
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27 Dec 1918
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France
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Gunner
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Rejoined from ditto
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4 Jan 1919
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France
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Temporary Bombardier
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Promoted, vice Mudie promoted
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6 Feb 1919
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France
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Gunner
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To hospital Sick [44 Field Ambulance]
Transferred to 42 Field Ambulance
Reverted to Gunner on admission to hjos
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16 Feb 1919
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France
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Gunner
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Discharged to duty from 42 Field Ambulance
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22 Feb 1919
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France
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T/Bombardier
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Appointed Temporary Bombardier
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23 Feb 1919
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France
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T/Bombardier
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Leave to Paris
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10 Mar 1919
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France
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T/Corporal
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Promoted Temporary Corporal vice Anderson
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10 Mar 1919
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France
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T/Corporal
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Rejoined [unit] from Paris leave
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20 Mar 1919
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France
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T/Corporal
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Marched Out to England for RTA
Demob Quota NO 21
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26 Mar 1919
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France
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T/Corporal
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March Out to England
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2 Apr 1919
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France
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T/Corporal
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Disembarked S'Hampton M/I to No 3 Gp Codford
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3 Apr 1919
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England
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Temporary Corporal
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Returned to Australia per HMAT BORDA (A30).
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11 May 1919
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France
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T/Corporal
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Next of Kin advised returning to Australia
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6 Jun 1919
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Australia
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T/Corporal
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Discharged 2nd Military District
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30 Jul 1919
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Australia
Use the hyperlinks or scroll down to see further information on the badges.
UNIT SHOULDER PATCH
36th HEAVY ARTILLERY BRIGADE
NOT ENTITLED TO WEAR ANZAC 'A'
Raised as the Siege Artillery Brigade (Heavy) in Victoria in April 1915,
the troops embarked and departed Melbourne on the Orsova on 17 July 1915.
Like many artillery units it underwent a bewildering sequence of renaming
and re-designations; O Siege Brigade 28 September 1915, 36th Heavy Artillery
Group 18 July 1916, 36th Heavy Artillery Brigade 5 February 1918.
The 36th Australian Heavy Artillery Group served in England, and on the
Western Front.
It was organised in two batteries, equipped with 8 inch Howitzers and 9.2
inch howitzers respectively - the 54th and 55th. Each battery initially
had four guns; this was later increased to six.
These were the heaviest guns operated on a continuous basis by Australian
gunners in WW1 (and subsequently). Heavy artillery was designed to pulverise
enemy defensive positions. .
By and large German defences were constructed very well indeed, and the
onus was on the Allies to attack them to retake ground occupied by the Germans
in 1914. German defences often comprised concrete blockhouses and deep
underground concrete dugouts which were impervious to Field Artilley
Battle Honours:
Albert 1918, Amiens, Avre, Broodenseinde, Ffrance and Flanders 1916-18,
Hindenburg line, Messines 1917, Mont St WQuentin, Passchendaele,
Poelcappelle, Polygon Wood, Somme 1918, St Quentin Canal, Ypres 1917.
[Extract from Ribbons and Medals: Naval, Military, Air Force and Civil, Captain H. Taprell Dorling, DSO RN,
George Philip & Son, 33 Fleet Street, London EC4, 1940]
The decoration consists of a four-pointed star in bright bronze as shown, with the date 1914-15 on the central scroll.
The reverse is plain, and is stamped with the name and unit of the recipient.
The ribbon is red, white and blue, shaded and watered, worn with the red nearest the centre of the breast.
It is atached to the medal through a ring.
It is similar in shape and description to the 1914 Star, to which few, if any, Australians were entitled.
The decoration, sanctioned in 1918, was issued "to all officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men of
the British, Dominion, Colonial and Indian Forces, including civilian medical practitioners, nursing sisters, nurses
and others eployed with military hospitals, who actually served on the establishment of a unit in a theatre of war as
defined in Appendix 'A'. Individuals in possession of the 1914 Star will not be eligible for the award of this
decoration."
Appendix 'A' included the Western, Eastern, Egyptian, African, Asiatic and Australasian Theatres of war,
with commencement dates individual to countries and campaigns.
[Extract from Ribbons and Medals: Naval, Military, Air Force and Civil, Captain H. Taprell Dorling, DSO RN,
George Philip & Son, 33 Fleet Street, London EC4, 1940]
This medal was approved by King George V in 1919 to record the bringing of the war to a successful
conclusion and the arduous services rendered by His Majesty's Forces.
The medal, which is supended from its ribbon by means of a straight clasp, without swivel, bears
on the obverse the effigy of His Majesty - exactly similar to that on a half-crown - with the
legend 'Georgivus V : Omn : Rex et Ind : Imp'.
The reverse bears a design which represents St George on horseback, trampling underfoot the eagle
shield of the central powers and a skull and crossbones, the emblems of death. Overhead is the risen
sun of victory. The male figure, rather than a symbolical female one, was chosen because man had
borne the brunt of the fighting. The figure was mounted on horseback as symbolical of man's mind
controlling force (represented by the horse) of far greater strength than his own. The design is
thus also symbolical of the mechanical and scientific appliances which helped so largely to win the
war.
The ribbon has a orange watered centre with stripes of white and black at each side and with borders
of royal blue. It is stated that the colours have no particular signification.
[Extract from Ribbons and Medals: Naval, Military, Air Force and Civil, Captain H. Taprell Dorling, DSO RN,
George Philip & Son, 33 Fleet Street, London EC4, 1940]
This medal, of bronze, bears on the obverse a winged figure of Victory, full length in the middle of the medal and full face;
the borders and the backgound plain, without either incription or date. On the reverse is an inscription. "The Great War for
Civilization." and either the names of the different Allied and Associated Powers, or their coats of arms.
The rim is plain, and the medal hangs from a ring. The ribbon is red in the centre, with green and violet on either side shaded
to form the colours of two rainbows.
It has also been approved that any officer or man who has been "mentioned in despatches" shall wear a small bronze oak leaf on
the ribbon of this medal. Only one oak leaf is so worn, no matter how many "mentions" the wearer may have received.
The medal is designed to obviate the exchange of Allied Commemorative war medals, and is issued only to those who actually served
on the establishment of a unit or ship in a theatre of war. [This is an important distinction, as those Australians who served
only in Australia, or only in Australia and England, were not entitled to the award.]
The brass letter 'A' to represent service related to Gallipoli (ANZAC) was authorised to be worn 'over unit colour patches on both sleeves
of the service dress jacket and greatcoat" by Military Order 354 of 18 Aug 17 and AIF Order 937 of 6 Nov 17, as amended in terms of
qualification by Military Order 20 of 19 Jan 18 and by AIF Order 1084 of 25 Jan 18.
The size of the letter 'A', introduced as one inch in height (AIF Order 994 of 30 Nov 17), was reduced to three-quarters of an inch by AIF
Order 1012 of 11 Dec 17. Provision for wearing the brass letter 'A' was also included in General Routine Order 0.815 of 17 Dec 43 and
GRO 310 of 7 Dec 45.
This version of the Rising Sun Badge was worn by soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Australian Imperial Forces, and the badge
has become an integral part of the Digger tradition.
Worn on the the upturned brim of the slouch hat, it is readily identified with the spirit of ANZAC.
There are a number of versions of the genesis of the badge, the most widely accepted being that it derived from a Trophy
of Arms - various swords and bayonets mounted on a semi-circular display in Victoria Barracks, Melbourne.
The original version worn in South Africa was modified in 1904 and worn by Australian soldiers through two World Wars.
Later changes were made to the style of the crown and the wording on the scroll. The "King's Crown" is the one shown to
the left, while arches of the "Queen's Crown" rise at the same angle as the base of the crown, curve at their highest point
to a level mid-way on the orb below the cross and then down to below the orb.
In 1949 the scroll was changed to read "Australian Military Forces".
In 1969 the badge was modified to incorporate the 7-pointed Federation Star with a central Queen's crown over the Torse
Wreath (a twisted roll of fabric) from the original 1902 version, and the scroll wording changed to "Australia".
In the 75th anniversary year of the the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli, there was a drive to return to traditional accoutrements
worn by Australian soldiers during the World Wars, which clearly identify the Australian Army. The Queen's crown returned to its
central position and the scroll now reads "The Australian Army'.
Army Order No.204 Headquarters, 1st A.N.Z.A.C., 9th August, 1916. (slightly amended for layout)
DISTINCTIONS FOR OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS WHO HAVE BEEN WOUNDED
The following distinction in dress will be worn on the service dress jacket by all officers
and soldiers who have been wounded in any of the campaigns since 4th August 1914 :
Stripes of gold Russia braid No.1, two inches [2.5cm] in length sewn perpendicularly
on the left forearm sleeve of the jacket to mark each occasion on which wounded.
In the case of officers, the lower end of the first strip of gold braid will be
immediately above the upper point of the flap on the cuff.
Warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men will wear the gold braid on
the left forearm sleeve, the lower edge of the braid to be three inches from the
bottom of the sleeve.
Subsequent occasions on which wounded, will be placed on either side of the original
one at half inch interval.
Gold braid and sews will be obtained free on indent from the Army Ordnance Department;
the sewing on will be carried out regimentally without expense to the public.
A.I.F. ORDER No.470, 24 January 1917 (slightly amended for layout)
The question of the issue of a badge to members of the AIF who have completed a certain
period of service has received consideration, and approval has been given for the issue
of a badge for long service combined with good conduct, subject to the following conditions.
The badge will consist of an inverted single chevron of service braid to be worn on
the left forearm - the point of the chevron to be 3 inches [7.6cm] above the edge of
the cuff.
Warrant and non-commissioned officers and men, will be eligible for the badge, which
will not carry an increased pay or allowance.
One chevron will be worn for each complete year's service in the Australian Imperial Force
from the date of embarkation in Australia.
No badge will be issued to any man who, during the 12 months, has incurred a regimental
entry (i.e. an entry involving forfeiture of pay) in his sheet.
Time absent from the unit in hospital or elsewhere on account of wounds or sickness, not
the result of misconduct, will count as service towards earning the badge.
A man in possession of a badge will forfeit same on being convicted of any offence
involving a forfeiture of pay , but will be eligible to regain the badge after 6 months
good conduct, from the date of forfeiture.
The illegal wearing of this badge will be a crime under A.A. Section 40.
[http://au.geocities.com/fortysecondbattalion/level2/reference/01nos-standards.htm]
[Image from http://www.diggerhistory.info]
Australian Imperial Force Order No.1053, January 1918 (Slightly amended for layout)
His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of chevrons to denote service overseas since the 4th August 1914.
Chevrons of two colours have been approved.
The first chevron if earned on or before 31st December 1914, will be red.
If earned on or after 1st January 1915, it will be blue.
All additional chevrons after the first will be blue.
The chevrons will be worsted embroidery, 1/4 inch [0.63cm] in width, the arms 4 inches [10.2cm] long. They will be worn inverted on the right forearm:
In the case of officers, the apex of the lowest chevron will be 1 inch [2.5cm] above the upper point of the flap on the cuff.
In the case of warrant-officers, non-commissioned officers and men, the apex of the lowest chevron will be midway between the seams and four
inches [10.2cm] above the bottom edge of the sleeve.
The red chevron will be worn below the blue one. They will not be worn on greatcoats.
In the case of Australians, the first chevron was earned the date the individual left Australia. Additional chevrons were awarded for each
successive aggregate period of 12 months service outside Australia.
Some Government Issued Badges
Nearest Female
Relative Badge
War Widows
Guild Brooch
Silver War Badge
Discharged Returned
Soldier Badge
Government issued badge in enamel
and sterling silver issued to the wife,
mother or nearest female relative of
a serving soldier. Additional bars
were suspended below for further
individuals.
Membership badge of a Kookaburra
in sterling silver, issued by the
Government to the widows of men
who lost their lives due to their
service. Numbered on the reverse.
Awarded to service personnel who
sustained a wound, or contracted
sickness of disability in the course
of the war as a result of which
they were invalided out, or to
soldiers who had retired during<
the course of the war.
First issued in 1916. Slight variations
are indicative of a number of makers.
267,300 were issued. Numbered on the
reverse but the numbers have no link with
length of service or Service Number.
[Badge information collated from Australian War Memorial, "Australians Awarded" by Clive Johnson and en.wikipedia.com]
