Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The four enlisted children of Louis Denhame Gibson and Edith Annie (née Wallace) Gibson of Malvern, Victoria:-

476 Sgt. Charles Thornley Gibson (/explore/people/243629) - returned to Australia;

976 Sgt. Frederick Wallace Gibson (/explore/projects/9124/edit?wizard-page-index=1) - returned to Australia; 

51366 Pte. John Denhame Gibson (/explore/people/370663) - returned to Australia;

1043 / Lt. Alexander James Gibson - killed in action.

'AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION.

DISTRICT CASUALTIES. LIEUTENANT A. J. GIBSON.

Lieutenant Alexander James Gibson, killed in action on 29th September, 1918, was a son of Mr L. D. Gibson, a former manager of the branch at Creswick of the now defunct City of Melbourne Bank, and later manager of the local branch of the National Bank, now occupying the position of inspector in the service of the latter. The late Lieutenant Gibson had three brothers on active service.

He was born here on 11th October, 1894, and was educated at a private school at Creswick, and afterwards at the Benalla State school and at Trinity Grammar School, Kew. He joined the staff of the National Bank at Maffra in 1912, and at the time of enlisting was ledger keeper at the branch at Bacchus Marsh. He served for 2½ years in Belgium and France, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. The friends of the family in this district regret the death of a promising young man. from Creswick Advertiser 22 Nov 1918 (nla.gov.au)

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

‘In loving memory of my dear friend…’ Simple words that leave so many unanswered questions; a multitude of possibilities never realised. How many a young woman grieved openly – and in private – for a love lost during the war. My mother always told me, “It’s a poor body that nobody greets over.” Certainly, during the Great War the expression of communal and personal grief changed the view of the entire world. So, remembering this particularly young man and telling his story will centre most poignantly around the what ifs and the might have beens…

On 11 October 1894, in the residence over the Bank of Melbourne in the Victorian town of Maryborough, Edith Gibson was safely delivered of her fourth child, and third son, Alexander James Gibson. Outside the room, her husband, Louis Gibson waited impatiently for the arrival. It was a momentous occasion for the couple, who had moved to the town just two months earlier.

Louis Denhame Gibson, who was born in the East Yorkshire port city of Hull, had married Ballarat-born, Edith Annie Wallace, in 1887. Holding the position of branch manager to the Bank of Melbourne in Allendale, Louis was a popular and well-known figure in the goldfields town.

A promotion to the manager of the Creswick branch in August 1888, established a connection with the larger town that was to continued for some considerable time. His transfer to Maryborough so late in Edith’s pregnancy, must have caused some consternation, but, bank managers, like school teachers and policemen, went when and where positions required filling.

Alex was less than 12-months old when the family returned to Creswick for Louis to take over the appointment as manager of the new branch of the National Bank of Australasia. Louis had a happy knack of making friends wherever he went, and it was said that the people of Creswick were particularly pleased to hear of his return.

The impact of their father’s ebullient personality cannot be underestimated. His work for the greater Creswick community was considerable. During those early years, the role of the bank manager was seen to be twofold – not only did they manage the bank that was the heart of any city or town, they also committed to multiple civic duties. Louis Gibson took this very seriously. He became involved in numerous community groups, including the committee of the Creswick Hospital and the School Board of Advice. In 1897 he was a member of the Borough Council of Creswick, and also supported the candidature of Alexander Peacock (later Premier of Victoria) to the Federal Convention.

Louis also took an interest in the safety of the many miners working on the deep lead mines around Creswick. In February 1898, he and engineer, J. D. Williams, applied for the patent on a ventilator that was to be used to improve the quality of air for the men working in the tunnels.

Young Alex grew up seeing his father’s commitment and enterprise. It was the perfect modelling for a young mind. His early formal education was conducted in a private school in Creswick. But news of the proposed closing of the bank’s branch in Creswick in March 1902 was to cause considerable upheaval. By September, Louis Gibson had been offered the position of manager of the Benalla branch of the National Bank, which necessitated a major move for the family.

Once settled in Benalla, Alex was placed in the local State School, where he completed his primary education. He graduated as a boarder to the Trinity Grammar School in Kew around the time that Trinity was first registered as a Public School of the Church of England.

In December 1910, Louis Gibson was notified that he was again being transferred by the bank. This time he was to manage the branch in the Gippsland town of Maffra. It was there that Alex Gibson began his career with the National Bank of Australasia in 1912.

Very soon after joining the bank staff, Alex was transferred to Ballarat, where he was to spend two years gaining experience. He was then transferred to Koroit as a ledger-keeper. During his time in Koroit, Alex was at the forefront of developing a golf club in the town. He was elected as secretary when the club was established in June 1914. It was obvious from descriptions of those early days, that the golfing “bug” had truly bitten the townsfolk…

‘…Golf has beep prevalent at Kirkstall for some time, and a number of Koroit residents have now caught the desire for a local club. For this a meeting was lately held to form such a club, and it was decided to do so. Mr. James Officer was appointed president, and Mr A..J. Gibson secretary and the other appointments were held over. A paddock on Mr Threlfall's farm, at the back of the railway station has been secured as a playing ground, and has been got ready for use…’

Alex’s keenness for golf saw him taking part in competitions around that time, but it wasn’t long before he was back on the bank transfer list. This time he was sent to the Bacchus Marsh branch – once again as ledger-keeper.

It was in Bacchus Marsh that Alex met a young woman by the name of Elsie Ramsay, who lived with her family at “Rosslyn” in Young Street. The two became close friends, but, sadly, the details of their relationship appear now lost to time.

On 7 February 1916, having attained his majority (reached the age of 21-years) Alex journeyed into Melbourne to present himself at the main Recruiting Depot. The same day he underwent the standard medical examination to ascertain his fitness for the Australian Imperial Force. At 5-feet 6½-inches in height, 124-pounds and an expanded chest measurement of 35-inches, Alex easily met the requirements. The doctor noted that he had ‘good physical development,’ a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.

His prior military training – six months with the Senior Cadets in Glenferrie during his time at Trinity Grammar, two years with the City of Ballarat Rifles (71st Infantry Regiment) and with the unit based in Koroit – was a bonus.

Having been passed fit, Alex was given the regimental number of 1043 and posted as a private to C Company of the newly raised 37th Infantry Battalion at the Seymour Camp.

On 3 June 1916, Alex and the other members of the 37th Battalion embarked from Port Melbourne onboard the former White Star Line steamer Persic. One of his comrades, Private James Bernard Mooney, wrote an interesting account of the voyage. The troopship called in at Albany before leaving Australian waters. They then journeyed through to South Africa, where they docked at Cape Town. He described seeing ‘truck-loads of crayfish being put off the boats,’ and the natives ‘scrambling for pennies on the wharf.’ The men went on a 7½-mile route march through the city, which was ‘a big place, but not too clean.’ [James Mooney was killed in action on 12 October 1917].

The Persic then continued on to the island of St Vincent before finally arriving in Plymouth on 25 July.
After nearly two months in camp at Larkhill on the Salisbury Plain, Alex received his first promotion when he was appointed to the rank of lance-corporal on 16 September.

On 22 November 1916, the 37th Battalion finally began the journey to France. They sailed from Southampton late in the day and arrived at Le Havre in the early hours of 23 November. The men then entrained for Bailleul before proceeding on to Strazeele. Each day brought them closer to the frontline – on 28 November they arrived at Armentieres and half the battalion went into the trenches there two days later. The remainder arrived the following day.

The 37th had been taking part in raids in the Chapelle-d’Armentieres sector when, on 1 February 1917, Alex was promoted to the rank of temporary corporal. The temporary promotion was confirmed on 28 April after Corporal William Crowe was evacuated sick to England.

When Alex was reported absent for just 20-minutes on 12 May, a charge was brought against him, which was to be the only blemish on his record. Lieutenant-Colonel N. W. N. Tompson had already noted that Alex was ‘of very good character’ and was lenient on his young charge, choosing to only reprimand him for his indiscretion.

At the Battle of Messines on 8 June 1917, the 37th Battalion experienced their first full-scale infantry assault. Traversing areas with names that were both amusing and evocative – Undulating Trench, Uncanny Trench, Hun’s Walk and Ungodly Avenue – the men soon discovered that, even during successful battles, casualties quickly mounted. When Sergeant Griffith Morgan was killed, Alex Gibson was immediately promoted to take over the role.

His work during this time impressed his senior officers, and on 23 August, Alex was selected to attend the Infantry Cadet Battalion Course in England. He reported to the No6 Officers’ Cadet Battalion at Oxford on 7 September. As a result, he missed the major battles of Passchendaele that saw the 37th Battalion suffer significant casualties.

Having successfully completed the necessary training, Alex was appointed to the rank of second-lieutenant on 19 December 1917. He spent Christmas in England before returning to France on 7 January 1918. He passed through the Australian Intermediate Base Depot at Le Havre before continuing on to his unit the following day. The 37th Battalion was resting at Neuve-Eglise when Alex rejoined them on 11 January.

During April 1918, the 37th Battalion took part in the defensive operations mounted against the German Spring Offensive along the River Ancre. It was a pivotal time in the war and for the AIF – the fighting was confused, but the battalion played a significant role in slowing the German advance on Amiens.

On 14 May 1918, whilst the battalion was resting at Allonville, Alex received news that he had been rewarded for his leadership during the preceding months and had been promoted to the rank of full lieutenant.

The ensuing months saw Alex on brief detachment to the 10th Brigade Headquarters and also suffer a mild bout of enteritis that required a few days out of the line. He also enjoyed a brief respite with a five-day leave pass. However, he was soon back with his men.

Following the successful seizing of Mont-St Quentin overlooking Peronne in early September, the Australians continued to take part in the final momentous battles of the war. The 37th Battalion was holding positions near Ronssoy late on 29 September, the Germans launched a gas shell attack. Alex Gibson, who was in command of D Company, had been sheltering in a shell hole with several other men, including his platoon runner, Private William Hanson, and Sergeant Jack Quinlan, when a shell landed directly on top of him. Alex was killed instantly.

Jack Quinlan later wrote a detailed account of the events of that night…

‘…I regret to say that I saw the abovementioned officer killed on the night of 30 September 1918. it was a very wet night and we were in a shell hole together. I had been away and on my return as shells were falling too close to be pleasant. I asked Lt Gibson to find a safer spot, but with that coolness for which he was famous he merely laughed and remarked that they were miles away. He had no sooner spoken when a shell landed right in the hole. I got a stomach full of gas and a good shaking up, after recovering my breath and before evacuating I looked for Lt Gibson and found that the upper part of his body had been practically blown off. I would have written to his people before now, only I could not get the address. Lt Gibson was one of the gamest soldiers and finest chaps I have ever met and I am indeed sorry that I cannot write brighter news to his people…’

William Hanson, who was gassed by the same shell, described his ‘baby-faced’ officer and how over five months he had become ‘great friends’ with Alex Gibson.

According to reports, his body was buried in the St Emilie British Cemetery. His date of death, although noted by the battalion adjutant as occurring on 29 September, was recorded officially as the 30 September.

At the conclusion of the war, units were established to comb the battlefields and centralise graves into formal cemeteries. (The youngest of the Gibson brothers, John Denhame, took an active role with the No2 Company of the Australian Graves Detachment). On 13 April 1920, Louis Gibson was informed that his son’s remains had been exhumed and re-buried in Unicorn Cemetery, Vend’huile, 13-miles north-east of Peronne.

The remaining brothers, Frederick Wallace Gibson and Charles Thorney Gibson, served with the Veterinary Hospital and the field artillery, respectively, and all three returned to Australia.

When Alex completed his Will on 18 July 1917, he made his mother his sole beneficiary. His personal effects were also sent to Edith Gibson – these included sundry items of clothing, but also his field glasses and periscope, his safety razor in a case, and his officer’s tunic.

On the first anniversary of his death, his family placed In Memoriam notices in Melbourne newspapers. But it was a small piece, which appeared in the Melbourne Argus newspaper, that caught my eye…

‘…In loving memory of my dear friend, Lieutenant Alex Gibson 37th Infantry Battalion, killed in action in France on 29th September 1918 – inserted by Elsie Ramsay, “Rosslyn,” Bacchus Marsh…’

The date alone indicates that Elsie Ramsay was contacted by someone outside official channels. It was also a sad reminder that there were many seemingly hidden mourners within this enormous human tragedy.