Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

AKA SHIPHARD George Gavin

On Gallipoli on May 3/4th shortly after midnight, the 2nd Battalion was ordered to replace the 3rd Battalion who were then holding a portion of trenches. Lieutenant-Colonel G.F Braund told Captain Morshead of ‘C’ Company of this before Braund made his way to Brigade Headquarters alone. Private Shippard was on picquet duty that night when he saw a figure emerging from the shadows - he challenged the figure but to no avail, the man wasn’t stopping. Shippard promptly fired from his rifle making the figure fall never to rise. Private Shippard reported to his Sergeant that he had shot a man in the scrub at about 1am, but upon further investigation by the pair they found the body of their Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Braund. Captain Morshead informed others of Braund’s death shortly after 2am on May 4th. It was quite ironic how Braund died, mainly since he taught his men to be prompt for the time between challenging and firing.

Sergeant Charles Alwyne of ‘B’ Company writes of this event in his diary;
Our old Colonel shot dead last night, hard luck for us, just as we got to like him we lose him. He was worrying too much lately, little or no sleep last night or I should say early this morning he goes out past the picket lines, don’t know what for, on returning he was challenged by the sentry one of our own Company who on receiving no reply, fired, not knowing whom he had shot. In the morning when he went out instead of finding a dead Turk we found our poor old Colonel, lying face down shot through the head. You have no idea how we felt, most of us wanted to shoot the sentry, or at least do him some bodily harm, but as we did not know who the Sentry was and it was explained to us that the Colonel was walking in his sleep, we had to let it drop;

Private Shippard was not reprimanded; Colonel Braund was partially deaf and presumably did not hear the challenge. Shippard later served in France where he was wounded in May 1917 whilst still serving with the 2nd Battalion. He fought right through until a few months prior to the armistice when he was returned home as an original from 1914 who had survived the horrors of war.. including shooting his own Commanding Officer.