ROOM, Gordon Hamilton
| Service Number: | 5189 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 13 May 1894 |
| Home Town: | Colac, Colac-Otway, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Colac State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Boot Repairer/Bootmaker |
| Died: | G.S.W. to Head & Meningitis, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, London, England , 28 October 1917, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Colac Soldier's Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5189, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5189, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Melbourne |
Help us honour Gordon Hamilton Room's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 28th October…… Gordon Hamilton Room was born at Ballarat, Victoria on 13th May, 1894.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 15th January, 1916 as a 22 year old, single, Bootmaker (as per Embarkation Roll. He listed his trade as Boot repairer on his Attestation Papers) from Heese Street, Colac, Victoria.
Private Gordon Hamilton Room, Service number 5189, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Suffolk (A23) on 1st April, 1916 with the 5th Infantry Battalion, 16th Reinforcements & disembarked at Suez on 11th May, 1916.
He was transferred to 57th Battalion on 19th May, 1916 (One of the Statement of Service forms has the date as 24th May, 1916). He was taken on strength of 57th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 19th May, 1916 from 5th Battalion. Private Room was reallotted from 2nd Training Battalion (6th Reinforcements to 5th Battalion) to 15th Training Battalion (as reinforcements to 57th Battalion) on 24th May, 1916.
On 21st June, 1916 Private Room embarked from Alexandria on H.T. Ivernian to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force). He disembarked at Marseilles, France on 30th June, 1916. Private Room was marched out to his Unit from 5th A.D.B.D. on 14th September, 1916 & was taken on strength of 58th Battalion in France on 15th September, 1916.
Private Room reported sick on 28th September, 1916. He was admitted to 15th Field Ambulance with P.U.O. (Pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin) then transferred on 29th September, 1916 & admitted to Divisional Rest Station with P.U.O. Private Room was discharged to his Unit on 4th October, 1916 & rejoined 58th Battalion in France the same day.
He reported sick on 5th June, 1917. He was admitted to 5th Divisional Rest Station on 5th June, 1917 with Trench Fever & was discharged on 13th June, 1917. Private Room rejoined his Unit on 21st June, 1917.
From 12th August, 1917 Private Room was on Leave to England & rejoined from Leave on 25th August, 1917.
On 15th October Private Room was detached for duty to 15th Australian Machine Gun Company from 58th Battalion.
Private Gordon Hamilton Room was wounded in action on 18th October, 1917 while on detachment to 15th Machine Gun Company. He was admitted to 3rd Australian Field Ambulance then transferred to 10th Casualty Clearing Station on 18th October, 1917 with shrapnel wound/s to Head (fractured) & multiple burns to Face & Hands. Private Room was transferred to Ambulance Train on 19th October, 1917 & admitted to 83rd General Hospital at Boulogne, France on the same day with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) & burns to his Hands & Face. He embarked for England on 21st October, 1917 on Hospital Ship Jan Breydel.
He was admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, London, England on 21st October, 1917 with G.S.W. to Jaw & Burns.
Private Gordon Hamilton Room died at 5.40 pm on 28th October, 1917 at 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, London, England from wounds – G.S.W. to Head & Meningitis. The Report of Death of a Soldier (Army Form B. 2090) recorded that Private Gordon Hamilton Room was with “D” Company, 58th Battalion, A.I.F.
He was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England where around 360 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/r.html
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