GASTON, David James Lacey
| Service Number: | 1709 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 June 1915, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 28th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Barossa Diggings, South Australia, 23 June 1884 |
| Home Town: | Kalgoorlie, Kalgoorlie/Boulder, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Barossa College, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Sleeper cutter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France , 3 May 1917, aged 32 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" No known grave (Originally buried France by Rev. Dwinford 6th Bde on 4 May 1917), Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kalgoorlie St John's Anglican Church Honour Roll, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France), Williamstown Mt Crawford Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1709, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1709, 28th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Jul 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1709, 28th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Demosthenes, Fremantle | |
| 12 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1709, 28th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 3 May 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 1709, 28th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1709 awm_unit: 28 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-05-03 |
Help us honour David James Lacey Gaston's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Marjorie Burton
"...1709 Lance Corporal David James Lacey Gaston, 28th Battalion, of Kalgoorlie, WA. Formerly a bushman and sleeper cutter, L/Cpl Gaston enlisted on 14 June 1915, and as a member of the 2nd reinforcements, he embarked from Fremantle, WA, aboard HMAT Demosthenes (A64) on 23 July 1915. He served on the Western Front and was killed in action at Bullecourt on 3 May 1917, aged 33." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
Biography contributed by Paul Lemar
GASTON David James Lacey
David was the son of George GASTON & Ann LAWSON and was born on the 23rd of June 1884 in Barossa Diggings, SA.
He was the 7th child born into the family of 14 children.
His parents were married on the 29th of April 1869 at the residence of Briely WORIAL, Gawler.
His mother was the daughter of Thomas Lacey LAWSON & Catherine CONTANT and was born on the 13th of May 1854 in the Barossa Valley.
His father was the son of Charles GASTON & Rebecca BURFIELD and was born on the 28th of May 1846 in Adelaide.
His father was a gold miner and held the lease on the Malcolm’s Barossa Mine in the Barossa.
David was about 17 years old when the family moved to Kanowna, Kalgoorlie.
In 1910 David was a labourer residing in Bridgetown.
By 1911 David was a miner, employed at the Marvel Loch Gold Mine, 30 kilometres south of Southern Cross.
He had moved to Dwellingup by 1912 and was a hewer (timber man) harvesting the local Jarrah, Marri and Blackbutt trees in the area for railway sleepers.
He was a delegate for the Smith’s Camp hewers (based at Holyoake), which at the time was the biggest camp in the state, at the annual conference for timber men in Perth.
His younger brother; Malcolm Bruce, enlisted into the 11th Battalion, G Company on the 8th of September 1914 in Black Boy Hill, WA and was allotted the service number 678.
David enlisted into the 28th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement on the 14th of June 1915 in Black Boy Hill, WA and was allotted the service number 1709.
David embarked from Fremantle on board HMAT A64 Demosthenes on the 23rd of July 1915, disembarking in Egypt where the Battalion was further entrained.
On the 12th of October 1915 he joined the Battalion at Gallipoli and reinforced the weary New Zealand and Australian Division.
The 28th Battalion had a relatively quiet time at Gallipoli and the battalion departed the peninsula in December, having suffered only light casualties.
On the 21st of March 1916 the Battalion disembarked in Marseilles, France.
On the 6th and 7th June 1916 they took part in raid in the Bois Grenier trenches, south of Armentieres.
The 28th Battalion took part in its first major battle at Pozieres between the 28th of July and the 6th of August 1916.
It was here; on the 6th of August 1916 that David suffered a gun shot wound to his right arm.
He was transferred to St Lukes War Hospital, Halifax, England. He spent nearly three months in hospital before rejoining his Battalion on the 18th of November 1916 at Fricourt Camp. They marched to billets were they rested and trained for the remainder of the year.
They fought at Mametz, Somme in January 1917 and relieved the Cameron Highlanders in the front line in February. They were in and out of the front line trenches throughout March.
On the 29th of March 1917 whilst training at Shelterwood Camp, David was promoted to Lance Corporal.
They were back on the front line for the most part of April.
On the morning of the 3rd of May 1917 the Battalion had arrived at Noreuil Longatte Road at 3 am and by 3.45 am they were engaged in heavy shell barrage from the German’s.
David was killed in action at Noreuil on the 3rd of May 1917.
He was buried by Reverend Dwinford of the 6th Brigade the following day.
Unfortunately David has No known grave, he is remembered at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
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