Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John was the son of Emanuel Francis GILBERT & Margaret KING and was born in 1875 in Glanville, SA.

His parents were married on the 30th of October 1869 in the Congregational Manse in Kapunda, SA.

His father was the son of John GILBERT & Margery REYNOLDS and was born in July 1948 in Phillack, Cornwall, England.
His mother was the daughter of Michael Patrick KING & Margaret MCCALLION and was born on the 5th of September 1847 in Northern Ireland.

John was the fourth child born into this family of 10 children.

His father arrived in South Australia on the 17th of October 1865 on board the Adamant from Plymouth as a labourer with his elder brother, John.

John’s eldest 3 siblings were born in the north of South Australia and then the family moved to Glanville where John was born and his father ran a store in Portland Estate before gaining employment as an engine driver.

In June 1883 they moved to Kapunda where his father took over the license of the Victoria Hotel.
Then in 1885 they moved to Beetaloo Valley, near Warnertown and then to Jamestown.

In 1896 they moved to Vivian Street, Boulder where John’s uncle, John was living.
John’s father gained employment as a boiler maker and John was employed as a labourer.
Three years later his father died from pneumonia on the 19th of October 1899 at their home at Vivian Street, Boulder.

John married Frances Elizabeth STEEL in 1905 in Coolgardie, WA.
Frances was the daughter of Charles James STEEL & Jeaneva MAKER and was born in 1880 in Kendal, Westmorland, England.

They welcomed Allan Francis into the family in 1906 in Boulder, WA.

They moved to Elizabeth Street, Rosewater, and John gained employment as a labourer at the Pt Adelaide Wharves and joined the Royal Naval Reserve.

At the age of 39, John enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 8th of June 1915 in Keswick, SA and allotted the service number 567 and posted to H Group, Base Infantry.

He was transferred to the 16th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements and then to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.

His youngest brother Emanuel enlisted into the 58th Battalion, 5th Reinforcements on the 15th of November 1915 (2416).

John was then transferred to the 10th Battalion, 13th Reinforcements before being posted to the Australian Mining Corps, No.2 Company in Casula Camp, Liverpool, NSW on the 1st of November.

John embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on the 20th of February 1916 and sailed to Port Melbourne to pick up the Victorian Company who had been training in Broadmeadows Camp.
They continued their voyage on the 1st of March and arrived in Fremantle 6 days later.

They re embarked on the 9th but at the entrance to the channel the Ulysses ran onto a rock and remained aground all night.
Now stranded in Perth due to the hole in the ship, they were transferred by tugs ashore and then proceeded to Blackboy Hill Camp.

They trained here for a month before again setting sail for the European theatre on the 2nd of April and disembarked in Port Said on the 24th of April and then re embarked to France with in a day.

On arrival in France, the Australian Mining Corps was disbanded and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Australian Tunnelling Companies were raised from the original 3 Companies and John was allocated to the 3rd Tunnelling Company.

John suffered from Synovitis of his knee and was continually AWOL before he was transferred to England for return to Australia in November.
He continued to go AWOL in England and eventually embarked on board HT Benalla on the 13th of February 1917. He disembarked in Melbourne on the 10th of April and entrained to Adelaide the following day.

John was discharged, as undesirable, from the AIF on the 26th of April 1917.

They later moved to 3 Peters Street, Rosewater and John was employed as a warehouse foreman.

Francis died at their home on the 28th of October 1949 and John buried her in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section A, Drive B, Path 2, Site Number 30BN.

John died on the 28th of September 1964 and was buried the following day in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section A, Drive B, Path 2, Site Number 30BN, with Frances.

Military

At the age of 39, John enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 8th of June 1915 in Keswick, SA and allotted the service number 567 and posted to H Group, Base Infantry.
He listed his wife, of Elizabeth Street, Rosewater, Port Adelaide, as his next of kin.

On the 2nd of July he was transferred to the 16th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements and then on the 16th of September he was transferred to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He was then transferred to the 10th Battalion, 13th Reinforcements before being posted to the Australian Mining Corps, No.2 Company in Casula Camp, Liverpool, NSW on the 1st of November.

On the 29th of January 1916 John went AWOL for 1 days and was warded 2 days forfeited pay and fined 10/-.

John and his Corps were farewelled with a fine parade in the Domain, Sydney.
They embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on the 20th of February 1916 and sailed to Port Melbourne to pick up the Victorian Company who had been training in Broadmeadows Camp.
They continued their voyage on the 1st of March and arrived in Fremantle 6 days later. The following day a ceremonial parade was held on shore and the Kalgoorlie Mining Fraternity presented them with their Corps flag.

That afternoon they re embarked but at the entrance to the channel the Ulysses ran onto a rock and remained aground all night.
Now stranded in Perth due to the hole in the ship, they were transferred by tugs ashore and then proceeded to Blackboy Hill Camp.
Whilst in Blackboy Camp John went AWOL of the 13th of March for 2 days and was awarded 7 days detention and 3 days forfeited pay.

They trained here for a month before again setting sail for the European theatre on the 2nd of April.

They arrived in Port Said on the 24th of April and arrived in Alexandria the following day where they disembarked and then re embarked on board HMAT Ansonia.
Two days later they sailed from Alexandria for France and arrived at Malta on the 30th of April.
They disembarked in Marseilles on the 5th of May and entrained to Hazebrouck.

On arrival in France, the Australian Mining Corps was disbanded and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Australian Tunnelling Companies were raised from the original 3 Companies and John was allocated to the 3rd Tunnelling Company.
On the 14th of May he was temporarily attached to the 171st Line Company, Royal Engineers for course of instruction and then returned to his Company in the Colvin Mining Sector, near Wytschaete.

John suffered from Synovitis of his knee and was admitted into the 13th Australian Field Ambulance on the 4th of July.
Seven days later he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Dressing Station and then rejoined his Company on the 26th of July.

On the 22nd of September John went AWOL again, but only for 15 minutes, but he was awarded 7 days Field Punishment No.2.
John was transferred to AIF Headquarters in London on the 8th of November for return to Australia as he was deemed unfit to become tunnellers mate.
When he arrived at the station in England he absconded and then didn’t report to No.4 Command Depot in Wareham until the 4th of December.
He then went AWOL from his medical classification and was awarded 24 hours detention.

John was scheduled to return to Australia on board HMAT Nestor on Christmas Day 1916 but he was unable to be located.
He was found the following day and then went AWOL on the 2nd of January for 6 days and was awarded 120 hours detention (in custody awaiting trial) at No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth and forfeited 14 days pay.

John embarked from England on board HT Benalla on the 13th of February 1917, disembarked in Melbourne on the 10th of April and entrained to Adelaide the following day.

John was discharged, as undesirable, from the AIF on the 26th of April 1917 and was not eligible for any War Medals.