Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Alexander Gibb’s war ended before it started as he became sick and died on board the ship that was transporting troops to Egypt for training.
The lad who loved the land was buried at sea.
He had land in his blood. His mother, Agnes, was the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Carmichael of Argyle Station”, Lake Mundi, west of Casterton. His father Alexander senior, was occupying Merne Station, in the Kalangadoo district when young Alexander was born, prematurely, at the station on July 14th, 1887. Alexander senior also managed Weinterga Station, near Menindee in western NSW for George and John Riddoch, and in 1904 became manager of Korrine Station, near Kalangadoo, for George Riddoch. By the time war broke out, Alexander senior owned Bonley Station, near Yallum Penola.
Young Alexander attended the Kalangadoo Public School between 1894 and 1899 before continuing his education at Mount Gambier’s Grammer School. Along with his two sisters, Effie and Maggie.
After leaving school, young Alexander took to a rural career, working for Casterton based stock and station company AE Smith & Co before going to Mt Gambier based company, Cameron and Helpman, where he worked as a stock agent.
In Mt Gambier in December 1915, Alexander went for a preliminary medical examination with a view to enlistment for the war and then travelled to Adelaide and enlisted there on the 7th of February, 1916. At Adelaide’s Mitcham Camp he was put into A Company of the 2nd Depot Battalion to begin his training.
While he was given the service number 0f 4717 this appears to have been confused sometimes and he has official details also under the service number of 4714.
On April the 11th 1916, he embarked from Adelaide on board the troopship Aeneas with the 12th Reinforcements for the 27th Battalion bound for Egypt for further training. The ship went via Fremantle, leaving there on April the 17th. While still at sea Private Alexander became sick and was admitted to the ship’s hospital area on April the 27th. On May the 3rd, when the ship was in the vicinity of Suez, Private Alexander died from lobar pneumonia and he was buried at sea the next day.
A very brief cable to that effect was received by the family back home in Penola prompting a sad plea to the authorities from his family for more information and the whereabouts of a tan leather bag that Private Alexander had written to say, on leaving Adelaide, that he was sending home with a key in the envelope to open it.
It wasn’t until the following year that further detail was received. A letter from Captain E Ruley, adjutant aboard the Äeneas” read as follows: “Alexander Carmichael Gibb was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia which was not at first considered serious. He received every attention and appeared quite cheerful. After some days in the hospital, he became worse and in spite of all the medical attention gradually sank and was breathing with great difficulty when I visited the hospital during the evening. The sister stayed with him all evening and he appeared more restful. A Chaplain was sent for but the patient was too weak to talk much or leave any messages.
I again visited the hospital with Captain Gardner at about 11:30pm when we had to tell Sister to go and rest – she seemed so upset. Patient passed away peacefully about five minutes later and appeared to suffer no pain. Protestant Chaplain was constantly in attendance and everything possible in the way of nursing and medical attention was done for patient”.
While the family had some belongings returned, a tan leather bag that Alexander had written to say he was sending home with a key in the envelope to open it, proved difficult to locate and when it was finally found, in a cruel twist, it was on the ship “Barunga” when it was torpedoed and sunk on its way to Australia. Private Alexander’s bag resting on the bottom of the ocean.
The sea had claimed their only son and his bag.
Private Alexander’s name is on the Chatby Memorial in Alexandria, Egypt, which includes the names of almost 1,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died during the First World War and have no other grave than the sea.
Private Gibb was awarded the following war medals, The British War Medal..
The family received a Memorial Scroll and Memorial Plaque.