Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

GERALD BLOOD CHRISTOE, the son of Mr. N. F. Christoe (formerly Manager for N.S.W. of the English, Scottish and Australian Bank Ltd.) and Mrs. L. A. Christoe, was born at Melbourne on 10th July, 1889. He was educated at the Fort Street High School, Sydney.

His first service with the Bank of New South Wales was in the Head Office, which he entered on 25th February, 1906. He was transferred to Balmain, a suburb of Sydney, on 17th July of the same year, and to Newtown on 19th October, 1909. He served at Ryde as ledger-keeper from 16th August, 1910, to 1st July, 1911, when he went to Richmond (N.S.W.) as assistant. On 22nd March, 1912, he was removed to the Sydney suburb of Mosman, and was there until the following June when he was sent to Wagga Wagga as ledger-keeper. He went, on 20th May, to Ariah Park as assistant, and remained there until he enlisted.

Joining the A.I.F. as private in the 3rd Battalion on 30th August, 1915, he was promoted acting corporal about October, and sergeant in the following December. On 3rd March, he was made a lieutenant. Gerald Christoe had a considerable experience of fighting in France, and was wounded in action at the strenuous Battle of Passchendaele on 5th October, 1917, and again at Strazeele on 28th May, 1918. - source Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

OBITUARY
Mr. G. B. Christoe
We think that the town and district has rarely received such a profound shock as it did this, (Monday) morning when it became known that Mr. Gerald Blood Christoe had passed away during the night at the age of 54 years.
Mr. Christoe held a commission, as Lt. in the Australian Military Forces, serving as part time duty platoon Commander and 2 I/C or 'E' company,  17th Battalion V.D.C. at the time of his death. Yesterday he was on parade with the V.D.C. and be came ill during the course of the day and had to  be taken home, where medical attention was at once forth coming. He passed away during the night.
In the last war Mr. Christoe served for three and a half years, gaining a commission in the 3rd. Battalion.

When he first came to Hay seven and a  half years ago, as manager of the Bank of New South Wales, Mr. Christoe at once began to pull his weight in the public institutions of the town, and there has been no more enthusiastic or able patriotic worker during the war period than the deceased.  He gave practical and efficient help to all the various organisations with which he was connected, working both with his head and his hands in their service. He was the hon. treasurer of the Hay and District Patriotic and War Fund, giving very practical help to that organisation. He was one of  the Executive and a most regular attender at the meeting and other functions of the Hay Sub-branch R.S.S.A.I.L.A and was a committeeman of the Hay P. and A. Association. Mr. Christoe was the financial off icer of the Council of the Diocese of  Riverina. Other organisations which will miss his practical help include the Hay Austerity Campaign Committee, the Hay Athenaeum, the Hay Horticult ural Association, the Waradgery Club and  of course, the V.D.C. He served on the executive of all these organisations.
The deceased gentleman was a son of the late N.F. Christoe, who was manager of the E.S. and A. Bank, Sydney and he entered the service of the  Bank of New South Wales at the age of 16. Before coming to Hay be was manager at Urana, Burrowa and Parkes. For Mrs. Christoe, who was Miss Sybella Elizabeth Baylis, of Wagga prior to their marriage in 1915, and their only son, Gunner J. F. Christoe, A.I F. and only daughter, Sister Marie Christoe, A.A.N.S., both of whom are serving in New Guinea, much sympathy has been expressed in their sudden and sad loss. A brother and a  sister live in Sydney.
The funeral will be held to-morrow afternoon at 4.30 o'clock.