QUARRELL, George Joseph Basil
| Service Number: | 1054 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 March 1915, Enlisted at Ballarat, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 23rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 1 May 1895 |
| Home Town: | Ballarat, Central Highlands, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Carter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, 29 November 1915, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lone Pine Cemetery, ANZAC Plot 1, Row C, Grave 20. Headstone inscription reads: He was one of the best he died for his country. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1054, 23rd Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Ballarat, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 1054, 23rd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 10 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 1054, 23rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Melbourne |
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Add my storyBiography
George was the second child and first son born to Theodore and Margaret Quarrell in 1895. He also had an older half brother, John born to his mum in 1891 before she married Theo.
George's siblings were - Theodora Pearl (Pearlie) born 1893, Albert 1900, Clarice (Clarrie) 1903, Olive 1908 (my grandmother) and Lenore (Lenie) 1913 and two others who died in infancy.
George was born and grew up in Ballarat. He was a 2nd generation Aussie on both sides of his parents. His dad Theo was born in 1971 in Creswick to english born parents, and his mum Margaret Ann Michell was born in 1872 in a gold diggers tent in Jackson's Gully, near Ballarat. Her dad was from Jersey, Channel Islands and he came to dig for gold, and her mum was an Irish girl named Catherine McGrath.
George's dad Theo was a bread carter in Ballarat during the years leading up to the war, and George listed his job as 'carter' as well.
George enlisted on the 3rd April, 1915 at the age of 19 years and 8 months old. His description says that he was a healthy boy of 5' 4" tall, with blue eyes and fair hair. This is from his enlistment papers as I haven't seen a photo of George.
My grandmother, Olive was only 7 when her big brother enlisted and left home. I remember her mentioning that her brothers both enlisted and one died, but she didn't speak much of this time in her life at all.
George joined the 23rd Batallion and they landed on Galipolli in September, they fought at Lone Pine and this is where George was killed in action on the 29th, November.
George's younger brother, Albert enlisted in 1917. He was 16 and when it was discovered he was underage, he was discharged without prejudice. He reenlisted in 1918. This time with a tattoo on his arm of a heart with the word "in memory of George" in it.
After the war, Albert moved up to the country and became a drover. He never married or had a family.
The daughtes Pearl, Clarice, Olive and Lenore all married and had small families.
My grandmother Olive had one living child - Lois, who was my mother. I am the oldest of 5 and together with our families, we are the remaining descendants of this line of the Quarrell clan. There may also be some descendants from the other sisters of Olive, but I am yet to discover them. This is why it is important to me to make sure that my great uncle George Joseph Basil Quarrell is not forgotten. He died at just 20 years of age and was never married or had a family of his own. Together with my siblings and our families, we are the living descendants who must assure that George's memory is honoured
Biography contributed by Carol Foster
Medals: 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal