GUNTER, George Algernon
| Service Number: | 4688 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 January 1916, Casula, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 18th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia, 6 September 1890 |
| Home Town: | Bondi, Waverley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Duramana Public School and Fort Street Model School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway porter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 14 April 1918, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bathurst War Memorial Carillon, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4688, Casula, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4688, 18th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 13 Apr 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4688, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney | |
| 14 Apr 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4688, 18th Infantry Battalion, Villers-Bretonneux |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
George Algernon Leslie GUNTER was born on 6 September 1890 at Rouchel, near Muswellbrook, NSW. His parents were George and Bridget Louise Gunter. He went to primary school at Duramana before going to Fort St Model School in Sydney.
He joined the NSWGR&T as a 3rd class porter (Temporary) in the Traffic Branch at Darling Harbour on 2 February 1912. His position was made permanent on 11 May 1912. From 26 July 1913 to 14 July 1915 he was employed as a watchman, also at Darling Harbour, before reverting to porter. On 28 January 1916 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
George joined the AIF on 7 January 1916 with the rank of Private (Service Number 4688) and was posted to the 12th Reinforcements to the 18th Infantry Battalion.
Submitted 15 August 2023 by John Oakes
Great Uncle "Uncle Algernon"
George Algernon Leslie Gunter was my great uncle, my maternal grandmother's eldest sibling. He was born in Rouchel near Aberdeen in NSW, September 6, 1890.
His father was George Gunter, a teacher born in Muswellbrook NSW on August 11, 1867.His mother was Louisa Bridget Agnes Murphy, affectionately known as "Louise" and the daughter of Michael Murphy and Margaret Guthrie. She was born January 2nd, 1866 in Denman NSW. George and Bridget were married in 1889 in Tamworth NSW. In 1897, George accepted a teaching position in Duramana near Bathurst NSW. Bridget Gunter died in December, 1901 not long after giving birth to her eighth child. George Gunter remarried Eliza Kellet, who had come from teaching in Goulburn to take up a position in Turondale Public School near Duramana. George and Eliza married in Kelso NSW in 1903. She was step-mother to 7-children living and went on to give birth to 5-children. George Gunter penned the reviews to any new books that came to Bathurst. He also penned a weekly column in the Argus newspaper "Sundry Shots" a take on politics and sport of the day. He also contracted entertainment acts who were nearing the end of their Sydney run. In 1911, George and Eliza moved with their twelve children to a house "Warnock Hall" corner of Edward and Francis Streets in Bondi. George worked as a homeopath out of an office in Moffit Chambers, 283 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, opposite Hyde Park. By this time, George Algernon Gunter was 21-years old. He took up a position as a railway porter and watchman in February, 1912 and held this position until he took leave to join the Australian Imperial Force A.I.F. 18TH Battalion as a private on 28 January 1916. He embarked to the Great War on 14 April 1916 aboard the "Ceramic". He ship arrived in England and on 9 September 1916 he was sent to fight in France. He contracted "Trench Feet" an in November 1916 convalesced in the Southern General Hospital. His recovery was slow and then delayed by an abdominal hernia operation in August 1917. He left again for war in December 1917 and re-joined his Battalion initially in Belgium and on to France. He was killed by an explosion carrying despatches on 14 April 1918 in the battle to take Villers Bretoneux. His name is commemorated on a memorial panel in Villers Bretoneux and also on the Waverley Memorial in Bondi NSW.
Submitted 8 November 2020 by Stephen Karadjis
Biography contributed by John Oakes
George Algernon Leslie GUNTER was born on 6th September 1890 at Rouchel, near Muswellbrook, NSW. His parents were George and Bridget Louise Gunter. He went to primary school at Duramana before going to Fort St Model School in Sydney.
He joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways as a 3rd class porter (Temporary) in the Traffic Branch at Darling Harbour on 2nd February 1912. His position was made permanent on 11th May 1912. From 26th July 1913 to 14th July 1915 he was employed as a watchman, also at Darling Harbour, before reverting to porter. On 28th January 1916 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
George joined the AIF on 7th January 1916 with the rank of Private (Service Number 4688), He was posted to the 12th Reinforcements to the 18th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his father, then living at Bondi, as his next of kin.
He embarked at Sydney for England aboard HMAT A40 ‘Ceramic’ on 14th April 1916. After arriving in England, he spent some time with the 5th Training Battalion before leaving for France on 10th September 1916. After spending from 11th to 23rd September 1916 at the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples he joined the 18th Infantry Battalion in the field on 23rd September 1916.
He remained on duty until 11th November 1916 when he reported sick with myalgia, later amended to trench feet. His condition was bad enough to warrant his evacuation to England where he stayed in hospital until 21st February 1917. He was discharged to furlough before reporting for duty again at No. 1 Command Depot, Perham Downs on 8th March 1917. From there he was sent to No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott on 23rd March 1917 before being transferred to the 66th Infantry Battalion at Windmill Camp, England, on 4th May 1917.
On 2nd August 1917, George reported sick and was diagnosed to have an extra-peritoneal hernia, which kept him in hospital until 12th October 1917. However, it was not until 9th December 1917 that he was sufficiently recovered to return to active duty, whereupon he was transferred back to the 18th Infantry Battalion. He left England to return to France the same day. He re-joined the 18th Infantry Battalion in Belgium on 26th December 1917.
On 14th April 1918 he was killed in action at Hangar Wood in France.
George is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France. His place of association is Bondi, Sydney, NSW.
George’s brother, 2nd Lieutenant Archibald Clavoring Gunter of the 54th Infantry Battalion, was awarded the Military Cross for his actions at Fromelles in 1916. He survived the war.
- based on notes for the Great sydney Central Station Honour Board
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