ALLEN, Gillen Whitford
| Service Number: | 1878 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 May 1915, Keswick, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Hawker, South Australia, 31 May 1893 |
| Home Town: | Maitland, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Public School |
| Occupation: | Tram Conductor |
| Died: | Died of Wounds, 1st South General Hospital, Stourbridge, England, United Kingdom, 17 September 1918, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Stourbridge Cemetery Row C, Grave 338 Inscription "HIS DUTY DONE" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Maitland St John's Anglican Church Memorial Altar and Plaque, Maitland War Memorial, Unley Arch of Remembrance, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 19 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Keswick, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Aug 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 1878, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Morea embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' |
|
| 26 Aug 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1878, 27th Infantry Battalion, RMS Morea, Adelaide | |
| 17 Sep 1918: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Corporal, 1878, 27th Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days", --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1878 awm_unit: 27 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-09-17 |
Military Funeral
The deceased soldier was accorded a Military funeral, Firing Party, bugler and Pallbearers being in attendance. The coffin was draped with the 'Union Jack" and surmounted by two beautiful wreaths sent by Patients of C.1 Ward and the Nursing staff of C.1 Ward. Chaplain the Rev. Simms officiated at the graveside. Sisters W E Watson and Newson, and Nurse Dodd of the 1st Southern General Hospital attended the funeral.
Submitted 22 January 2016 by Faithe Jones
Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
He was 26 and the son of William and Janet Allen, of Moonta, South Australia.
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 17th September…… Gillen Whitford Allen was born at Hawker, South Australia in 1893. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 19th May, 1915 as a 23 year old, single, Labourer from Maitland, Yorke’s Peninsula, South Australia.
Private Gillen Whitford Allen embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on RMS Morea on 26th August, 1915 with the 7th Infantry Brigade, 27th Infantry Battalion, 3rd Reinforcements. He joined the 27th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 12th January, 1916.
Private Allen proceeded from Alexandria on 16th March, 1916 to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 21st March, 1916.
Private Gillen Whitford Allen was wounded in France on 22nd May, 1916. He was admitted to Field Ambulance on 23rd May, 1916 with gunshot wound to left Shoulder. He was transferred & admitted to Casualty Clearing Station then transferred & admitted to 26th General Hospital at Etaples, France with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to Back. Private Allen was transferred on 17th June, 1916 to No. 6 Convalescent Depot at Boulogne, France & discharged to Base Depot on 20th June, 1916. He rejoined his Battalion in France on 16th July, 1916.
Private Allen was granted Leave to England from 29th December, 1916 & returned from Leave on 14th January, 1917.
Private Gillen Whitford Allen was appointed Lance Corporal on 1st January, 1917.
Lance Corporal Gillen Whitford Allen was promoted to Corporal on 4th March, 1917, vice 524 Temporary Sergeant W. Clarke promoted. He was appointed Temporary Sergeant from 10th October, 1917 in Belgium & reverted to the rank of Corporal on 21st November, 1917, vice 2259 Sergeant J. Lugg rejoined Battalion.
Corporal Allen was on Leave to Paris from 9th December, 1917 & rejoined from Leave on 19th December, 1917.
Corporal Allen proceeded to 6th Training Battalion on 1st January, 1918 for duty & was placed on the Supernumerary List. He was marched in to 6th Training Battalion at Fovant, Wiltshire, England from France on 7th January, 1918.
Corporal Allen was admitted to 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital, Bulford, Wiltshire, England on 17th January, 1918 with V.D. & was discharged on 23rd April, 1918 – total V.D. period 97 days. He was re-admitted to 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital, Bulford, Wiltshire on 23rd April, 1918 with Cystitis. He was transferred to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, Middlesex, England on 11th May, 1918 & discharged to No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott on 15th May, 1918.
Corporal Allen was attached for duty with Permanent Cadre of 5th Training Battalion at Tidworth, Wiltshire on 25th April, 1918 (under new establishment). He was marched in to No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire, England on 15th May, 1918 & marched out to 2nd Training Brigade at Fovant on 8th June, 1918.
William Allen, father of Gillen Whitford Allen, died on 26th June, 1918 at Fullarton, South Australia.
Corporal Allen was transferred back to 27th Battalion from permanent Cadre of 5th Training Battalion on 30th June, 1918 & proceeding Overseas on 1st July, 1918. He rejoined 27th Battalion in France on 6th July, 1918.
Corporal Allen was promoted to Temporary Sergeant from 3rd August, 1918, vice 1954 Sergeant C. H. D. Meier to 5th Training Battalion on 2nd August, 1918.
Temporary Sergeant Gillen Whitford Allen was wounded in action (2nd occasion) on 2nd September, 1918. He was admitted to 8th Australian Field Ambulance on 2nd September, 1918 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to Abdomen. He reverted to the rank of Corporal from 2nd September, 1918 on evacuation & was admitted to Casualty Clearing Station on 4th September, 1916. From there he was transferred to Ambulance Train & admitted to 12th General Hospital at Rouen, France on 7th September, 1918 then invalided wounded to England on Hospital Ship on 9th September, 1918.
Corporal Allen was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital – Stourbridge Section, Birmingham, England on 10th September, 1918 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) (Bullet) to Abdomen. The Hospital Admissions for recorded – penetrating wound of thorax, lung & liver.
Corporal Gillen Whitford Allen died at 5.50 am on 17th September, 1918 at 1st Southern General Hospital – Stourbridge Section, England from wounds received in action – G.S.W. Abdomen. The Hospital Admissions for recorded that he died of Septicaemia.
He was buried in Stourbridge Cemetery, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England where 12 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/stourbridge.html
Biography
Gillen Whitford ALLEN was born on 31st May, 1893 in Hawker, South Australia
His parents were William ALLEN and Janet McINNES
He enlisted on 19th May, 1915 with the Australian Army - he was with the 27th Battalion, 3rd reinforcements - Unit embarked from Adelaide on board RMS Morea on 26th August, 1915
Gillen died on 17th September, 1918 of wounds to the abdomen at the 1st South General Hospital, Stroubirdge, Worcestershire, UK - he is buried in Stourbridge Cemetery and also commemorated on the Australian War Memorial - he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
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