Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Gordon Levason Curlewis was born on 19th March 1885 at Nuyong Estate near Queenscliff, Victoria to George Campbell Curlewis and Lilla May George. He was the eldest of five siblings with three brothers and one sister.

The exact date is not known when the Curlewis family arrived in Western Australia, but they initially took up residence in Geraldton. The family moved to the Fremantle area before moving to Brookton Western Australia where his father took up farming in the area.

Gordon was educated in state schools at Queenscliff and Geraldton. On leaving school he took up employment as a Commercial Traveller.

He served as a private in the Citizens Militia, Infantry Regiment where after a series of promotion he was promoted to First Lieutenant on 29th August 1910.

It was in 1913 that Gordon married a Margaret Rose Johnston from Bunbury where they lived at Leschenault. 

It was in the October 1914 Gordon enlisted into the A.I.F. where he was granted a commission as a Lieutenant attached to 16th Infantry Battalion. His initial training was conducted in Perth before embarking for Melbourne with the battalion to continue further training at the Broadmeadows Camp. It was on the 22nd December 1914 that Gordon embarked aboard H.M.A.T. Ceramic A.40 bound for the port of Alexandria, Suez Egypt.

Gordons three younger brothers enlisted had also enlisted into the A.I.F. with George and Selwyn attached to 16th Infantry Battalion embarking with Gordon from Melbourne. Arthur who was attached to 12th Infantry Battalion sailed from Fremantle in October 1914, prior to his three brothers.

With all four brothers now overseas with the A.I.F. their father and mother left the farm in Brookton moving to Lillian Street Cottesloe.

It was on the evening of the 25th April 1915 Gordon landed on the beach of Gallipoli along with his two brothers George and Selwyn. The battalion was initially sent up the hill to reinforce the line where a gap had opened, which the Turks where threatening. The hill was later to be known as Pope’s Hill.

Gordon was in action the very next day when the battalions Regimental Sergeant Major and the Signals officer where wounded by Turkish sniper fire. He went to assist them both when he himself was also struck by a sniper’s bullet to the field glasses that he was wearing around his neck. A piece of shrapnel from the field glasses ricochet wounding him to the chest and chin. He received a second wound to his leg.

Evacuated from the frontline back to the Gallipoli beach he was taken to a hospital ship where the shrapnel was removed from his chest. He returned to his battalion on the 27th April 1915 after persuading doctors not to send him to hospital in Alexandria.

On returning to the battalion Gordon acted as the Colonel’s adjutant where on the 2nd May 1915 he was promoted to Captain. Gordon with the battalion moved out of the front line at Pope’s Hill to the rear to rest. In the time the battalion was resting, it was noted by Gordon’s commanding officer that he continued to hold the battalion together, even though he was still suffering considerable pain from his chest wound.

On 8th May 1915 Gordon’s battalion was joined by a Captain Townsend, it was on the following day the 9thMay, Gordon led a party of men up to the front-line trenches to show them the work that had been carried out by the men. Whilst Gordon was carrying out his duties he was shot in the head by a Turkish sniper, killing him instantly.

Gordon was buried in the field by the Reverend C.W.G. Moore of the Royal Naval Brigade. It was in 1920 that Gordon was exhumed and reburied in Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Gallipoli Peninsula. He was 30 years of age.

In a letter written to Mrs Curlewis widow of Captain Gordon Curlewis by a Dr Ralph McGregor he wrote that he had
‘Died doing his duty and was a real Australian hero. There is no higher tribute. Your husband often speaking of you and was very much in love with you’

Gordon’s two brothers Selwyn and Arthur were also killed in action at Gallipoli with only one of the brothers, George returning home to Australia.

Gordon is commemorated on the Brookton District War Memorial and on the Rathmines War Memorial (East Bunbury).

Gordon Leveson CURLEWIS was born in 1885 in Victoria

His parents were George Campbell CURLEWIS and Lilla May GEORGE

Gordon married Margaret Rox JOHNSTON in 1913 in Western Australia

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Three of his brothers also served in WW1 with two losing their lives

Selwin Lord CURLEWIS (SN6)  died 1915

Arthur Grenville CURLEWIS (SN1004) died of wounds 1915

George Campbell CURLEWIS (SN5) returned to Australia in 1915