Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born in South Melbourne on 21 September 1926 to James Francis Gilbert & Kathleen Margaret Kempling

At the age of 18y 7m, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy on 19 April 1945. He was rated Ordinary Seaman & completed his initial training at Cerberus on 4 October

During his 28 years in the service, he held Service No's. PM8316, R36845 & F36845 & was posted to a number of shore establishments including Williamstown, Platypus, Penguin, Lonsdale, Cerberus, Watson, Albatross, Herman, Melville & Coonawarra

He served on board HMAS Bunbury (22 January – 26 August 1946) as part of the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla on sweeping operations off Hobart, the Spencer Gulf & Australian waters until 29 May 1946. Bunbury was paid off in August 1946 bringing her seagoing career to a close

He served on board HMAS Culgoa (13 April 1950 – 20 April 1951), during which time Culgoa was deployed in the Solomon Islands & Noumea areas

He was stationed overseas as a Patrolman (Naval Military Police) at HMAS Commonwealth, the naval establishment in Kure, Japan (20 October 1951– 4 October 1953) & was rated Leading Patrolman on 19 June 1952

He was rated A/Regulating Petty Officer (Master at Arms) on 1 January 1954 & transferred to the London Depot on 15 March 1955 for posting to the Aircraft Carrier, HMAS Melbourne (26 October 1955 – 28 January 1957)

Melbourne was commissioned on 28 October & conducted work–up trials in the United Kingdom & sailed from Glasgow for Australia on 11 March 1956 with 808, 816 & 817 Squadrons on board. Her voyage to Australia was by way of the Mediterranean & included visits to Gibraltar, Naples & Malta before transiting through the Suez Canal. On 10 April she visited Colombo before crossing the Indian Ocean & arrived at her first Australian port on 23 April

On 2 August, she participated in the search for survivors from the collier Birchgrove Park which had foundered north of Port Jackson the previous night resulting in the loss of ten lives

In September she sailed for what was to be the first of many deployments to South East Asia. The Australian Government had by this time committed naval forces to what became known as the Far East Strategic Reserve. Melbourne maintained this commitment with the Strategic Reserve & later with ANZUK Forces, participating in many exercises conducted under the auspices of the South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO)

The deployment took her to Singapore, Thailand & Hong Kong (for Exercise Albatross), the Philippines & Papua New Guinea before arriving back in Sydney in November

In November & December she visited Port Melbourne & contributed to the staging of the 16th Olympic Games, providing some 200 personnel (likely including Gilbert) to act as Marshals in various stadia, additionally, Signalmen, Carpenters & Sick Berth attendants were utilised to perform special duties

He was again posted to HMAS Melbourne (14 December 1964 – 1 December 1965) during which, Melbourne underwent a regular pattern of deployments to Southeast Asia, exercises & flag–showing visits to nations in the Asia-Pacific region

Several of the Southeast Asian deployments were related to the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation & involved participation in show of force exercises off the coast of Malaysia

During 1965 & 1966, Melbourne escorted HMAS Sydney, which had been recommissioned as a troop transport, for short periods during the latter's first, third & fourth transport voyages to Vietnam. Despite the carrier being the centrepiece of several plans to involve Australian forces in the Vietnam War, the escort runs were the extent of Melbourne's participation in the conflict & the carrier remained outside the Market Time area while Sydney & her other escorts proceeded to Vũng Tàu

He married Cynthia Janet Mary Thomas in Darwin, Northern Territory in 1966 & was, engaged for a period of two years with the Air Force Reserve – noted as RAFR, though assuming is meant to be RAAFR (19 November 1968 – 18 November 1970)

He discharged from the RAN on 20 January 1973 at the age of 46y 3m

Douglas passed away in Brighton, Victoria on 10 November 1990 at the age of 64y 1m & is remembered at the Victorian Garden of Remembrance, Springvale, Greater Dandenong City