Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George Ainsley Videon was born on the 10th of January in 1885, in Kensington, South Australia. His father was Frederick Videon, and his mother was Catherine Ann Mock. George was one of 9 siblings, he was the third oldest. His siblings were Elizabeth Ethel Videon, Williamena Maud Videon, Ada Anna Videon, Martha Elsie Videon, Doris Jane Videon, Frederick Elwyn Videon, Arnold Hartley Videon, and Walter Lloyd Trennery Videon.

George Videon was married to Ada Mary Smith and had one daughter with her, Dulcie Phillis Maud Videon. She was born on the 29 September 1904, whilst George was 19 and Ada was 25.

Before the war Videon was a decorator, some of the work he would have completed during this time includes; painting as the decorators were responsible for painting the walls and ceilings as well as the stenciling and pattern work in the painting. Wallpapering which measuring, cutting and applying it. There was also special decorators that focused on the decorative plaster finishes including applying and sometimes molding ornamental features, as well as decorators that did metal and woodwork. There was also work similar to what decorators do today such as Colour consultations, furniture and upholstery selections, coordinating with tradespeople, and adhering to different styles. Videon had no previous military experience written on his record, so from our knowledge the first experience Videon had in the military was whilst training for the war.

To sign up for the war, George Videon went to a recruiting office in Oaklands, South Australia on the 23rd of December in 1914. Videon was part of the first wave of recruitments who trained in preparation for the war, he trained with the rest of the Australian Soldiers in Egypt. At their makeshift camps that were set up at military bases, farms and parklands, the conditions were quite poor.

He embarked from Adelaide on the 1.4.1915, he travelled on the H.M.A.T (His Majesty’s Australian Transport) on A.17 also known as the “Port Lincoln.” The boat was a single screw, quadruple expansion engine making 13 knots, it had accommodation for 600-steerafe class passengers in tween deck dormitories.  The boat journey to Alexandria took either a month or 4 months, it is unknown, it is more likely that the journey was a month, and training was undergone for the remaining three months. Videon was taken on for strength from Reinforcements on the 5th of the June and was with them for a couple of months.

Once at war, George Videon was a part of the 10th Battalion and was a private.

On the 18th of August Videon was in Mudros with a fever then admitted to the H.S (hospital ship) “Ulysses” with a fever. Videon was admitted to the first Auxiliary hospital with Dysentery. By the 25th of August the boat had disembarked from Alexandria. From Alexandria the ship went to Heliopolis and there Videon was admitted to the first Australian General Hospital with the Influenza. Then Videon was transferred to the first Auxiliary hospital in Heliopolis still on the 25th.

By the 28th of September, Videon had been transferred to Helouan. On that same day he was admitted to the Helouan Convalescent camp with Heart Troubles. He was hospitalised from 28.9.15 to 22.10.15. Then on the 15th  of December, Videon was in hospital in Mudros W with a sickness again.

On the 25th of November, Videon was able to rejoin the 10th Battalion at Mudros W from being sick in Hospital. Videon would have spent the next couple months fighting in Battles with the rest of his battalion, until he was appointed Lance Corporal on the 16th of July in 1916. Videon was then promoted to the Corporal in 10.8.16.

The 10th battalion was brought in as a reinforcement during the Battle of Pozières or more specifically when the Battle of Mouquet Farm was fought. On the 10th of August the 4th Australian Division attacked towards the Farm successfully establishing advanced posts in the Valley south of the Farm and to the east. Attacks were made from a foothold in Fabeck Graben to the north-east and to deepen the salient near the farm. During these attacks, the 10th battalion was under fire where many casualties occurred.

Whilst the 10th battalion was being attacked on the 21st of August, Videon was wounded in action. On the 22nd Videon was captured at Mouquet Farm. That day he was officially reported a Prisoner of War and was going to be transferred to Holland for interment. A letter was sent to headquarters on the 15th of September making everyone aware that he was a Prisoner of Germany, in his letter he said that his brother Walter Lloyd Videon was severely Wounded and passed away on the night of the 21st. By the 12th of October, he arrived in Holland.

On November 11th, 1918 the guns on the Western Front were silent and the agreement between Germany and the Allies was the first stop to ending WW1. By the 18th of November, he had made it back to England. A telegram was received from Ripon on the 20th of November. From there he was admitted to the first Australia Hospital with Asthma, he was discharged from Hospital to the Second Command Division.

On the ship Somali back to Australia on the 3rd of February 1919 he was declared medically unfit but was medically discharged on May 4th and exited the Somali on the 5th of May.

Whilst in fighting in the war George Videon was with the 10th Battalion and whilst with them he remained in Gallipoli until it was evacuated and then from March 1916, mostly at Pozières in the Somme Valley and Ypres in Flanders.

By the end of the War, George Videon had three medals, the 1914/15 Star which he was issued with the number 3364, the second was a British war medal which he was awarded with on the 4/3 and issued with the number 2709. The third medal he was issued was the Victory Medal that we was awarded with on the 4/3 and was given with the number 2652.

George Ainsley Videon died on the 28th of September 1949 in Keswick, South Australia at the age of 57, Videon was buried in the AIF section at the West Terrace Cemetery. Videon was in 4 separate memorials, the Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Henley Fulham Unity Church Roll of Honer, Kent Town Wesleyan Methodist Church WW1 Honour Roll, and Norwood Primary School Honour Board.

Bibliography

“FamilySearch.org.” Familysearch.org, 2015, ancestors.familysearch.org/en/MM44-4JN/george-ainsley-videon-1885-1942.

“1910s Houses Australia: A Guide to Architecture Styles in 1910s.” Homes to Love, 21 Jan. 2022, www.homestolove.com.au/renovating/1910s-houses-australia-21654/.

“FamilySearch.org.” Familysearch.org, 2015, ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L29N-8J1/dulcie-phillis-maud-videon-1904-1988. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.

“-18.1.5 HMAT Australian Ships during WW1.” Cemetery Tours, 1 Feb. 2020, discoverytrailscomau.wordpress.com/18-1-5-hmat-australian-ships-during-ww1/.

“Fighting for Mouquet Farm.” Wikipedia, 5 Aug. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_for_Mouquet_Farm.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial. “Armistice.” National WWI Museum and Memorial, 2024, www.theworldwar.org/learn/about-wwi/armistice.

“After the War.” Department of Veterans’ Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024, www.dva.gov.au/media/media-backgrounders/after-war.