CUNNINGHAM, Trevor Russell
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Dundas, Victoria, Australia, 1874 |
| Home Town: | Geelong, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Church of England Grammar School, Geelong |
| Occupation: | Director and Secretary of Cheetham Salt Limited |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Pozieres, France, 4 August 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
London Cemetery and Extension, Longueval |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Geelong Club Roll of Honor, Geelong Grammar School Community Members Who Served |
World War 1 Service
| 12 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 7th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, HMAT Aeneas, Brisbane | |
| 29 Jun 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 7th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' |
|
| 11 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 7th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 5 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 27th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 8 Dec 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Major, Officer, 27th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 4 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Major, Officer, 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion |
Posthumous Recommendation for Mention in Despatches
For gallant conduct and successful work in the action of POZIERES RIDGE on 4/5th August 1916. He led his men across from a communication trench in the attack which was successful, though he was killed in the attempt.
Submitted 2 July 2015 by Nathan Rohrlach
Biography contributed
Trevor Russell CUNNINGHAM was born in Dundas, Victoria in 1874
His parents were Alexander William CUNNINGHAM & Henrietta Eliza HASSALL
Biography
Enlisting on 12 May 1915, Trevor Russell (sometimes Russel) Cunningham was married and living at 9 Little Malop Street, Geelong. He was then the Director and Secretary of the Cheetham Salt Limited based at Geelong. He had seen pervious service with the Garrison Artillery militia in the state with the rank of Lieutenant.
He embarked from Brisbane with the 7th Infantry Brigade Headquarters with the rank of Captain and the role of Captain Orderly Officer upon HMAT Aeneas (A60). He was 40 years old.
Initially the Brigade Headquarters landed on Gallipoli in the late evening of 11 September 1915. Within a month of service on the Gallipoli peninsula, however, Cunningham was transferred to the 27th Infantry Battalion. He saw out the rest of the campaign with the 27th Battalion and just several days prior to the evacuation he was promoted to the temporary rank of Major and given the temporary role of second in command.
The 27th Battalion left Gallipoli on 12 December 1915.
After training in Egypt the Battalion moved to the Western Front in March 1916. Between 28 April and 7 May he took out leave to go to the United Kingdom.
The 27th Battalion's first engagement on the Western Front was at Pozieres. On the night of the 4/5 August 1916 the battalion had being tasked to capture the second German Line and the infamous Windmill site at Pozieres. In charge of C Company temporary Major Cunningham was advancing when he was killed by shell fire. His light green clothes made it possible for him to be identified. Given an isolated burial in the 1930's he was exhumed and re-buried by CWGC.
1914/15 Star: 26136
British War Medal: 15176
Victory Medal: 15116
Memorial Plaque and Scroll: 355917
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