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Gustav “Gus” Claude Vinall was a Private who served in WW1 (1914-18). He was born a Baptist in Salisbury, Adelaide, South Australia, but later moved to Springton. He lived with his father, listed as his next of kin as Mr. Thomas Vinall. His mother is unknown, and he did not have a wife or children prior to enlistment. Upon enlistment, Gustav worked as a blacksmith. 

Gustav enlisted for the war in Adelaide, SA, on 06/08/1915, under the regimental number 3947 in the 10th Infantry Battalion. After training in Adelaide, finally, he embarked from Adelaide on board the RMS Malwa on 02/12/1915 where he was allotted to and proceeded to join the 10th Battalion at the Heliopolis Aerodrome, Cairo on 07/03/16. He was then taken on strength at the camps of Serapeum Staging camps. Following that he was taken on strength at Tel-El-Kebir Australian training camp (the place in which the AIF was “doubled”) in Cairo as he and his battalion were used as reinforcements. He was also temporarily struck off to the Anzac/Gawp Police Corps. In March 1916 Vinall was sent to hospital in Eygpt with an infection and the following month was diagnosed with influenza. He was discharged from hospital in May and went to Tel-el-Kebir then Alexandria to embark overseas to France with the 3td Training Battalion on 30th May 1916.

On 26/07/16, he proceeded from the 1st ADBD (Australian Divisional Base Depot) to 10th Battalion in Etaples, France. The 10th battalion joined the front lines of the Western Front as reinforcements on 30/07/16. Because of this timing, it was likely for Gustav to have fought in the Battle for Pozières / Mouquet Farm (the British Somme Offensive against the Germans), more specifically, located at the Pozières Windmill.

The Battle of Pozières was one of the toughest battles for the AIF. Pozières and Mouquet farm was a major battle for SA and is said to have more South Australian DNA than anywhere outside of Adelaide.

This conflict had 3 objectives: to capture the Pozières Trenches, the outskirts of the village and the main road that ran through the centre of the village. Many Australians, including Gustav, were positioned on the first four British front lines. The battle was characterised with relentless artillery shelling, and the continuous flying of gas shells. Both sides were exhausted; the intensity would drive you mad. Gustav also fell victim to these weapons and was wounded in action on 22/08/16. This was also a major day of attack from the enemy. The war diary discusses the stationing of different weapons, but then mentions the heavy shell fire at the front lines at 1700 (5pm). Because Gustav was wounded, it is likely he was involved in this. This is confirmed as the next entry in his service record is an admission to hospital for Shell Shock 23rd August 1916 for 2 months. 

After treatment for Shell Shock he returned to the 1st ADBD in October. In November he was diagnosed with Neurasthenia (condition of mental and physical stress/exhaustion) and was transferred to England on 6/11/16. After treatment in various hospitals in England he was transferred to the No 1 Command Depot at Wareham in April 1917. He returned to France in November 1917 and rejoined the 10th Battalion in December.

Stress seemed to fuel him away from the war, as he had several instances of being AWL – away without leave, from small things like a few hours away from training to the most serious offence of deserting the front lines. On 01/01/18, he went away without leave, and was found by the army police on 03/02/18. A full month AWL from the front line is a serious crime and landed him a sentence of 5 years of penal servitude. However, his sentence was shortened to 2 years as of 20/03/18. He served in prison until 18/10/18, and he was released, possibly for good behaviour. He rejoined his unit on 26/10/18, where he would fight for around 2 months before contracting illness again and was sent back to hospital in England.

In April 1919 he was repatriated back to Australia. The remainder of his sentence in prison was dismissed (also due to the war ending). He arrived back in Australia 31st May 1919 and was discharged from the AIF 5th July 1919.

A record of Gustav was found on the Record of Employment sheets of the South Australian Railway, with service dated after the war but little else was discovered.

He died on 07/07/65 at age 76, and has a known burial site and a gravestone in the Mannum District Cemetery, Salisbury.

Bibliography.

Virtual War Memorial Australia & Larkins, S 2013, Virtual War Memorial, vwma.org.au, viewed 9 September 2024, https://vwma.org.au/explore/campaigns/5

The AIF Project 2024, Details: Gustav Claude VINALL, Adfa.edu.au, viewed 9 September 2024, https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=309085

National Archives of Australia 2015, Session expired | RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia, Naa.gov.au, viewed 9 September 2024, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=8398136&isAv=N

Australian War Memorial 2024, AWM4 23/12/7 - September 1916, Awm.gov.au, viewed 9 September 2024, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1355998?image=2

Genge 2021, Training Australian army recruits during World War I, Anzac Portal, viewed 9 September 2024, https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/training#:~:text=The%20British%20forces%20had%20many

Australian Government 2024, First World War The Western Front, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, viewed 9 September 2024, https://www.dva.gov.au/media/media-backgrounders/first-world-war-western-front

Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, CC 2020, Battle of Pozières 23 July to 3 September 1916 | Anzac Portal, anzacportal.dva.gov.au, viewed 24 September 2024, https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/where-australians-served/western-front/battle-of-pozieres

Melling, W & Jones, F 2019, Private Gustav Claude ‘Gus’ Vinall (1891-1965) -..., Findagrave.com, viewed 9 September 2024, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/202499214/gustav-claude-vinall

State Records of South Australia 2021, Record of employment sheets - South Australian Railways, The Government of South Australia, viewed 9 September 2024, https://www.archives.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/830191/GRS_10638-index-U-Z.pdf

(NOTE: multiple articles were used from some of these websites, including Virtual War Memorial, Australian War Memorial, Anzac Portal)