Archibald Clavering GUNTER MC

Archibald Clavering GUNTER MC Update Details

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GUNTER, Archibald Clavering

Service Number:	N60258
Enlisted:	10 May 1915, Sydney, New South Wales
Last Rank:	Captain
Last Unit:	11 Garrison Battalion (NSW)
Born:	Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, 14 November 1894
Home Town:	Bondi, Waverley, New South Wales
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Bank clerk
Died:	Natural causes, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 4 September 1971, aged 76 years
Cemetery:	Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, NSW Eastern Drive Walls, Wall D, Position 141
Memorials:

World War 1 Service

10 May 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, Sydney, New South Wales
20 Dec 1915:	Embarked AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney
20 Dec 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 1st Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: ''
12 Jun 1916:	Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 54th Infantry Battalion
19 Jul 1916:	Honoured Military Cross, Fromelles (Fleurbaix)
19 Jul 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 54th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix)
16 Apr 1917:	Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, 54th Infantry Battalion
28 Jan 1918:	Discharged AIF WW1, Captain, 54th Infantry Battalion

World War 2 Service

20 Dec 1941:	Enlisted Captain, N60258, Paddington, New South Wales
23 Dec 1944:	Discharged Captain, N60258, 11 Garrison Battalion (NSW)

Eliza Gunter (nee Kellet)

Following the early death of Archibald Gunter's mother, Louisa Bridget Agnes Gunter (nee Murphy) his father, George Gunter remarried Eliza Kellet also a bush teacher who had come from working in Goulburn to take up a position in Turondale Public School near Duramana near Bathurst NSW.
Prior to marrying my great-grandfather, Eliza Kellet had been teaching in the Goulburn district of NSW at Run-o'-Waters School. At nearby Thornford School a former pupil, young Miles Franklin had completed writing her first novel "My Brilliant Career" now an Australian classic. Miles asked Eliza if she would correct the grammar and punctuation knowing she excelled in the finer points of the English language. Miles's teacher had been Miss Gillespie and the teachers of nearby districts met and socialised in Goulburn. Eliza took the original manuscript and edited the grammar and punctuation as requested by the 19-year-old Miles Franklin. See "Stella Miles Franklin" A Biography, By Jill Roe, Chapter 3 - pages 53-54 published by Fourth Estate - An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, Copyright Jill Roe 2008.
Eliza Gunter (nee Kellet) and Miles Franklin remained friends until the author passed away in 1954.
Eliza Gunter (nee Kellet) born 1865 died in 1971, then the oldest person in Australia. See the Daily Telegraph 27th October, 1970 (front-page) at her 105th birthday.

Great Uncle- "Uncle Archie"

Archibald Gunter MC was my great uncle, my maternal grandmother's elder brother.
His father, George Gunter was a bush teacher in Duramana near Bathurst NSW from 1897-1911. His mother was Louisa Bridget Agnes Gunter (nee Murphy), the daughter of Michael Murphy and Margaret Guthrie. She died in 1901 not long after giving birth to her eighth child and is buried in the Roman Catholic Section of Bathurst Cemetery. George remarried Eliza Kellet, a teacher who had come from working in Goulburn to take up a position in Turondale public school. Although wrote a weekly column in the Argus, "Sundry Shots" and penned the reviews to any new books that came to town. He also contracted entertainment acts and brought them to Bathurst following their Sydney run. In 1911, George and Eliza and their twelve children moved 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. By this time Archibald Gunter "Archie" was seventeen. He started work as a clerk at the National Bank of Australasia in Pitt Street, Sydney, a position he held until enlisting to fight in the Great War 1914-1918.

Biography contributed by Sharyn Roberts

Son of George Gunter, Bondi, NSW

"LIEUT. A. C. GUNTER, M.C.

Lieutenant Archibald Clavering Gunter, who has been awarded the military cross for conspicuous gallantry, is the second son of Mr. George Gunter, of Warnock Hall, Bondi, whose eldest son is also on active service abroad. Lieutenant Gunter enlisted as a private, but was given his commission before attaining his 21st birthday, and has not yet comploted his 22nd year. He obtained his second star in Egypt, from which time he has been grenade officer for his battalion. Private advices state that he has now attained his captaincy, and is adjutant of his battalion. At the time of his enlistment, Lieutenant Gunter was on the staff of the National Bank of Australasia, Pitt Street. The bank has sent him the following cable: — "Congratulations from directors, chief manager, and staff of bank upon his Majesty's recognition of your signal bravery." - from the Sydney Daily Telegraph 02 Nov 1916 (nla.gov.au)

Military Cross

'For conspicuous gallantry in action. As bombing officer he repelled with his bombers the enemy bomb attacks. Later he counter attacked them as long as his supply of bombs lasted, and on receiving a fresh supply, bombed them away altogether.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 184
Date: 14 December 1916

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