Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

   George was born at Rosaville, Mount Gambier, South Australia to Charles and Miranda nee Davis, he was their first born child, nine younger siblings were to follow, five girls and four boys. The next born was Louisa b 1897, Horace b 1900, Henry b 1904, Hilda b 1908, Florence b 1912, Roma b 1913, Howard b 1915 anf finally Rita b 1921. All were born in the Mount Gambier area, George and Louisa at Rosaville, with the remainder being born at their Moorak property.

 George's Grandfather Henry Shephard was born in Gloucestershire, England with his Grandmother Charlotte who was born in Adelaide, moved to the Mount Gambier area in 1884 from the Coramandel Valley in the Adelaide Hills with their eight children, settling on a property at Mount Gambier West.

  George and his sister Louisa lived with their parents in the Rosaville area until about the year 1900, when they moved to a propety they had purchased at Moorak, which is just South of Mount Gambier,, it is an area with rich volcanic soils and dairy farming was the main occupation of this close knit community.

 At the time of his enlistment in 1915 he was working as a labourer in the Dimboola area in Victoria, this where he enisted on the 13th of October 1915, he was aged 20 years and 5 months old at this time.

 His enlistment records describe George as being 5 ft. 6 1/2 inches tall, weighed 10 stone 8 lbs., with a dark sallow comlexion, grey eyes and black hair. His religion is registerd as Presbyterian.

 After completing basic training in Australia he boarded the "Medic" on the 20th May 1916, bound for England, arriving in Plymouth on the 18th of July 1916. Further training took place in England for his role as a driver in the Artillery, a career that would have been particularly dangerous, especially when transporting live ammunition. Records show that on the 30th of December 1917, he departed Plymouth for France and joined the 8th Field Atillery Brigade.

  George was wounded on the 30th of March 1918, sustaining facial injuries, ultimately requiring evacuation to England, being admitted to the Barnett War Hospital on the 2nd of April 1918. Returning to France on the 3rd of July 1918 and rejoining his unit on the 15th of july 1918.

  He continued his driver duties until the end of the war on the 11th of November, when the Armistice was signed and the Germans surrendered.Then the Australian Army faced the mammoth task of returning the thousands of troops to Australia, whom had been steadily built up during the 4 years of conflict. Shipping was limited as all nations whom had sent troops were noe trying to dothe same. This meant that the troops were now in foreign countries,sometimes not in ideal conditions to meet the climate, many troops died of diseases as a result. George became one of these, after his service at the front and recovering from being wounded in action he contracted Broncho Pneumonia, being admitted to hospital in France on the 15th of February 1919, noted as "dangerously ill" on admittance and sadly passed away on the 24th of February 1919.

 George was buried at the Sous le Bois Commonwealth Cemetery, Maubeuge, France.                           Located in Row B, Grave 10. His Gravestone bears the following words.                                                    He Responded,                                                       To His Countries Call,                                          Gave His Best,                                                         His Life, His All.

  The majority of George's siblings married and continued to live in the Mount Gambier region. Although the family anguish was repeated during WW2, as George's younger brother, Howard who also served in the Australian Army was Killed in Action at El Alemain, Egypt, on the 29th of October 1942.