Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

NOTE: The first Given Name was incorrectly transcribed on the Embarkation Roll. The Attestation Papers signed by the individual indicates the spelling of the first Given Name as WILFRED. The record on this site has been amended to accord with that within the Service Record. RSL VIrtual WAr Memorial Chief Moderator, August 2016.

Wilfred Gordon Robinson, known as Wilf, was born on 30th June 1886 at Hobart Tasmania, the 7th of 13 children born to his parents Alfred and Marianne Robinson.  He had 5 older sisters and one older brother Alfred as well as 2 younger sisters and 4 younger brothers, 2 of which died in infancy.  Wilfred’s 2 surviving younger brothers, Albert and Reginald, both served with him in the 3rd Field Ambulance at Gallipoli and then all 3 served together in France with the 13th Field Ambulance with Albert being awarded the Military Medal.  After completing his education Wilf became a mine foreman and was a member of the Brass Band in his hometown of Branxholm in the north-eastern area of Tasmania. 

When WW1 broke out Wilf was one of the first to enlist on 19.8.1914 at Pontville TAS aged 28.  His brother Albert enlisted the next day and both were assigned to the 3rd Field Ambulance, C Section, which also included the famous John (Jack) Simpson.  Wilf’s service number was 241 and Albert’s was 240 and both had the rank of Private.  Wilf is described as being 5ft 9ins tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.  His initial training was done at Brighton Camp at Pontville then he embarked from Hobart on 20.10.1914 on HMAT Katuna and sailed with the 1st Australian Convoy from Albany WA on 1.11.1914.  He disembarked at Alexandria and proceeded to Mena Camp. 

In late February 1915 the Unit moved to Kasr-el-nil Barracks in Cairo then embarked from Alexandria on 3.3.1914 on HMT Malda.  They proceeded to Lemnos Island and anchored off shore in Mudros Bay till 8th April 1915 when they were transferred to HMAT Suffolk and then later on to HMAT Devanha.  On 24th April 1915, in preparation for the landings at Gallipoli, the unit transhipped from HMAT Devanha to the Destroyer HMS Ribble.  The Commanding Officer of C Section of 3FA was Captain Douglas McWhae and he lead C Section ashore at Gallipoli in the 2nd tow at 5am on 25th April 1915 under heavy fire. 

McWhae recalled: “Several men were wounded on the destroyer and a young naval officer shot dead through the head (while waving the men off with a ‘Good Luck’) and Symonds of B Section shot through the chest.  I saw one infantryman shot, fall into the water and drown with heavy pack despite the efforts of one of the sailors to save him.  The rowboats returned to the destroyer and we entered them under heavy fire.  Then we rowed to shore under a frightful fire.  At first the beach was absolutely swept with machine-gun and rifle fire, so that there was no possibility of going near the boats (of the first tows) or to help the wounded lying on the beach.  Jack’s boat grounded in deep water, about 300 metres north of Ari Burnu Point, almost opposite the Sphinx.  He was the second man out of his boat.  The first and third men out, on either side of him, were killed instantly.  Soon after dawn the rifle fire stopped and we were able to look after the wounded - now shrapnel fire only.  There were great numbers of wounded whom it took all the morning to attend to and get away.  The Red-Cross flag was put up after a time.  The three sections were going for all they were worth...they had iodine and field dressings; all splints were improvised using rifles and bushes.  They were terrible wounds to deal with.”

A primitive collecting post was established using the cover of the overgrown vegetation beyond the beach.  Sometime around 6am a Major Jackson, of the 7th Battalion, arrived at the collecting post requesting urgent assistance for his men about 1,200 metres north of the Sphinx and at the extreme left of the landing area.  McWhae and C Section set off at once, skirting the chest-high thorny bushes inland which they used for cover.  When they arrived at their destination - a small hillock with a fisherman’s hut at its base, it was a gruesome scene which met their eyes.  Between 9 and 10 am the Turks began a massive counter-attack.  By midday they were in possession of all the high ground around Baby 700 and the collecting post at Fisherman’s Hut (where there “were over a hundred wounded” according to McWhae), was under serious threat.  By the end of first day the unit casualties were 2 killed 18 wounded and 4 missing. 

On 26th April 1915 Wilf’s unit worked all day at the 3rd Brigade Headquarters.  The following day they evacuated the collecting posts for the 9th and 10th Battalions under heavy shrapnel fire.  Captain McWhae was wounded in the forehead and eye by shrapnel, and was evacuated to the transport ship Galeka on 28th, where surgeon, Major Harry Butler removed his eye.  Captain Lyle Buchanan took over C Bearer Section and he warned Jack Simpson, officially, of “the inevitable result of wounding or worse” if he chose to continue with his donkey trips.  Jack chose to continue.  Buchanan described the situation in Monash Valley thus: “Other people using the valley had a dozen waist-high shelter spots...(Simpson) had really only one spot on the way which sheltered him and his donkey.”  Buchanan added that “he had earned (the Victoria Cross) fifty times.”  Simpson was killed on 19th May 1915 while escorting a wounded soldier to the beach. 

Wilf was admitted to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station (1ACCS) at Gallipoli on 7th September 1915 with influenza.  He was evacuated 4 days later on HMHS Assaye and admitted to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital (1AAH) at Heliopolis in Cairo.  He was transferred to Mustapha Convalescent Depot at Alexandria on 19.10.1915 then 6 days later embarked from Alexandria on HMT Canada to re-join his Unit at Gallipoli.  He remained with the 3FA until 8th December 1915 when he was detached for duty with the 12th Infantry Battalion at Sarpi Camp on Lemnos Island.  When the troops were evacuated from the Gallipoli peninsula in late December he embarked from Lemnos Island on Christmas Eve on HT Caledonia and arrived at Alexandria on 27.12.15.  He re-joined the 3FA at Tel-el-Kebir Camp on 1st January 1916 and was promoted to Corporal that

same day.  On 27th February 1916 he was transferred to the 13th Field Ambulance (13FA). 

The 13FA moved to Serapeum Camp on 2nd April 1916 then embarked from Alexandria for France on HMT Oriana on 6th June 1916 and disembarked at Marseilles on 13th June 1916.  Wilfred was appointed as Acting Sergeant on 18th July 1916 then 2 weeks later appointed Temporary Sergeant.  He was promoted to Sergeant on 16th August 1916. 

On 10th July 1917 he was admitted to hospital with an abscess and re-joined his Unit 4 days later.  In late December 1917 he took 2 weeks leave to the UK. 

On 16th February 1918 he was awarded the Croix de Guerre, a French Military decoration, for the following actions: “This NCO was conspicuous for his courageous devotion to duty in the Zonnebeke area from 11th to 24th October 1917 during offensive operations and under extremely difficult conditions.  As Sergeant Steward he was responsible for bringing up rations to the Advanced Collecting Station west of Zonnebeke.  He daily went through heavy shell fire supervising and encouraging his men and successfully combated the difficulties of transporting the rations over the shell torn ground deep in mud and always contrived to bring up for the ambulance bearers of his own and attached Units a plentiful supply of food and comforts, when any failure of them would have been disastrous to the work of the men engaged in the exhausting labour of clearing the wounded.  He was also responsible for bringing up medical stores and equipment to the Advanced Collecting Station and by his close personal supervision the Dressing Station and Regimental Aid posts were kept well and constantly supplied with all their requirements.  Sergeant Robinson has had a splendid record in the Australian Imperial Force.  He left Australia in the first Contingent with the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance and served with that Unit throughout the campaign at Gallipoli.  He has served continuously with the 13th Australian Field Ambulance in France and Belgium.”

Wilfred was promoted to Staff Sergeant on 31st March 1918.  While on leave in Taranto Italy he was grated Special Leave for enlisting in 1914 and was returned to Australia on HT Devon on 24th September 1918.  He disembarked in Melbourne on 23rd November 1918 then proceeded to Tasmania.  He was discharged on 24th January 1919.  Both his brothers were returned safely to Australia from the war.

On 9th January 1919 Wilfred married Ruby Isabella Mountrey at the bride’s home at Carrick in Tasmania.  They welcomed 4 children…Jean 1919, Wilfred 1922, Murray 1925 and Barbara in 1932. 

On 13th April 1942 Wilf enlisted for WW2 at Launceston TAS aged 55.  He was given the service number of T22032 however, no record was found of his service.  He stated on his enlistment papers that his occupation was a Master Butcher. 

Wilfred was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 1977 for community service.  He passed away on 18th May 1979 at Launceston aged 92.  He was cremated and his Memorial Plaque is located at the Carr Villa Memorial Park in Kings Meadows TAS. 

Wilfred Gordon Robinson was awarded for service in WW1 the Croix de Guerre, 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.   

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 24th November 2022.