BREEN, Gordon
| Service Number: | 1020 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 March 1915, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 23rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Camperdown, Victoria, Australia, June 1896 |
| Home Town: | Camperdown, Corangamite, Victoria |
| Schooling: | St Patricks RC School, Camperdown, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Blacksmith |
| Died: | Killed In Action, France, 4 July 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Camperdown War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1020, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1020, 23rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 12 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1020, 23rd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 5 Mar 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 1020, 23rd Infantry Battalion, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line, Bayonet wound (arm) | |
| 12 Jun 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 23rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 21 Sep 1917: | Honoured Military Medal, Menin Road, 'On the night of 21st September 1917 the Battalion was placed under cover near CHATEAU WOOD during enemy barrage on our sector, and enemy shell fired a dump within a few yards of troops. This N.C.O. immediately rushed to the dump, scattered the burning boxes of 18 pdr. ammunition and extinguished the fire. This cool and courageous act undoubtedly saved a serious explosion and lives of men in the close vicinity.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 31 | |
| 1 Jun 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 23rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 Jul 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 23rd Infantry Battalion, Le Hamel - Blueprint for Victory, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 23 Battalion awm_rank: Second Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1918-07-04 |
Awarded the Military Medal - Battle of Menin Road 21 Sep 1917
'On the night of 21st September 1917 the Battalion was placed under cover near CHATEAU WOOD during enemy barrage on our sector, and enemy shell fired a dump within a few yards of troops. This N.C.O. immediately rushed to the dump, scattered the burning boxes of 18 pdr. ammunition and extinguished the fire. This cool and courageous act undoubtedly saved a serious explostion and lives of men in the close vicinity.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 31
Submitted 8 March 2023 by Steve Larkins
Biography contributed by John Edwards
"... Second Lieutenant Gordon Breen, MM, 23rd Battalion. A blacksmith from Camperdown, VIC, prior to enlistment as a Private (Pte) on 10 March 1915, he embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Euripides on 8 May 1915 for Gallipoli. The battalion was withdrawn to Egypt in December 1915 and then relocated to the Western Front, France during March 1916. Pte Breen was appointed a Lance Corporal in September 1916 and promoted to Corporal (Cpl) in February 1917. He was wounded in action on 3 March 1917 for which he was repatriated to England for treatment and recuperation before rejoining his battalion in France on 9 May 1917. Cpl Breen was promoted to Lance Sergeant on 14 May 1917 and then to Sergeant (Sgt) on 12 June 197. He was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for his actions at Westhoek on the night of 21 September 1917. Sgt Breen was posted to the Cadet Training Battalion in Oxford, England, on 2 November 1917. On successful completion of the course, he was commissioned on 1 June 1918 with the rank of Second Lieutenant and rejoined his battalion in France on 17 June 1918. 2nd Lt Breen was killed in action near Villers Bretonneux, France, on 4 July 1918. He was aged 25 years." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
Biography contributed by Geoff Tilley
Second Lieutenant Gordon Breen of 23rd Battalion a blacksmith from Camperdown, Victoria prior to his enlistment as a Private in March 1915.
He embarked from Melbourne in May 1915 for Gallipoli. His battalion withdrew from Gallipoli for Egypt in December 1915, before been sent to the Western Front France in March 1916.
Gordon was appointed to Lance Corporal in September 1916 and in February 1917 he was promoted to Corporal. He was wounded in action in March 1917 where he was repatriated to England for treatment and recuperation before re-joining his battalion in France in May 1917.
By June 1917 he was promoted to Sergeant. He was awarded the Military Medal for his actions at Westhoek on the night of 21 September 1917. Citation reads;
“On the night of the 21st September 1917 his battalion was placed under cover near Chateau Wood during enemy barrage on our sector, and enemy shell fired a dump within a few yards of troops. This NCO immediately rushed to the dump, scattered the burning boxes of the 18-pounder ammunition, and extinguished the fire. This cool and courageous act undoubtedly saved a serious explosion and lives of men in the close vicinity”.
Sergeant Breen was posted to the Cadet Training Battalion in Oxford, England in November 1917 where he was commissioned on 1st June 1918 with the rank of Second Lieutenant. He rejoined his battalion in France on 17th June 1918.
Second Lieutenant Breen with his battalion where involved in the Battle of Hamel where he was killed in action near Villers Bretonneux on 4th July 1918.
It is recorded that he was killed by the blast of one of his own Mills grenades that he had thrown at what he believed to be a dugout that he had reached in the German trenches. The dugout was shallow with the blast of the grenade killing him.
Lieutenant is buried in Villers Bretonneux Military cemetery, he was 25 years of age.
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