SNELL, Gilbert James
| Service Number: | 3748 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 August 1915, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 52nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mitcham, South Australia, 14 June 1886 |
| Home Town: | Mitcham, Mitcham, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St Peter's College |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 24 April 1918, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" No known grave, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, Port Elliot Institute Roll of Honor, Port Elliot War Memorial, Roseworthy Agricultural College Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3748, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Dec 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3748, 12th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Malwa embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 2 Dec 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3748, 12th Infantry Battalion, RMS Malwa, Adelaide | |
| 24 Apr 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3748, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Dernancourt/Ancre, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3748 awm_unit: 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-04-24 |
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From the book Fallen Saints
Gilbert James Snell was born at Mitcham, South Australia, after leaving the School in 1905 took up farming, and was still on the land when he enlisted in Adelaide on 26 August 1915.
J. Snell was on a visit to Adelaide during. (1910) He has a property near Victor Harbour, (sic) which he intends to farm. [i]
Private Snell sailed from Adelaide aboard RMS Malwa with the 12th quota of reinforcements for the 12th Battalion on 2 December 1915; after reaching Egypt, he was transferred to the 52nd Battalion.
He was admitted to 4th Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Abbassia with a mild case of Mumps at the end of March, rejoined his unit at Serapeum on 19 April and sailed from Alexandria on aboard HMT Ivernia 5 June. After being shot in the left arm at Armentières on 8 July 1916, he was evacuated to the 13th Field Ambulance for treatment and transferred to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station the next day.
On 12 July, he was invalided via Ambulance Train to 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne and embarked for England aboard HS St David two days later. He was discharged from the War Hospital, Newcastle on 4 September and transferred to 1st Commonwealth Depot at Harefield and on to 13th Training Battalion, Codford until he sailed for France aboard SS Princess Victoria on 4 December. The next day he marched in to the 4th Australian Divisional Base Depot, Étaples and did not rejoin the 52nd Battalion until late January 1917.
During the attack launched at 8.30 p.m., on 24 April 1918, Private Gilbert James Snell of C Company, 52nd Battalion was killed at a point north of Cachy and Villers Bretonneux; he was 31 years of age.
[i] St Peter’s School Magazine - W K Thomas & Co, Adelaide, August 1910, p. 38
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