AITKEN, George Robert
| Service Number: | 2367 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 April 1916, Place of Enlistment Cloncurry, Queensland. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 52nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Nalloon Station, Taroom, Queensland, Australia, December 1893 |
| Home Town: | Eidsvold, North Burnett, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Stockman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium , 19 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cherbourg Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2367, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Place of Enlistment Cloncurry, Queensland. | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 2367, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Choon embarkation_ship_number: A49 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Sep 1916: | Embarked Private, 2367, 52nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Seang Choon, Brisbane |
George Robert Aitken
George Robert Aitken was born in 1894 at Nalloon Station, Taroom. George’s father is listed as Richard Aitken of the Cania Diggings, Eidsvold, and his mother as Princess, of the Barambah Mission. He enlisted on the 5th April 1916 at Cloncurry, at the age of 22 years and 5 months, stating his current occupation as stockman. George arrived in Brisbane on the 1st May 1916 and embarked for overseas service on the ship HMAT A49 Seang Choon on the 19th Sept 1916 and arrived on the 9th December 1916 at Plymouth, England.
It is on the 25th January 1917 in England that George is charged with refusing to follow orders to leave a village at the request of Sergeant Self and of striking L/Corporal Roberts in the face with his fist. A court martial proceeding occurred against George Robert Aitken. He pleaded not guilty to both charges, but was found guilty. The seriousness of the offence was reflected in the initial sentence of 2 years with hard labour, which was then commuted to 12 months detention with forfeiture of pay for 377 days.
It was during his captivity that he issued what he called “a little story” to his brother Dennis Lee “Dan” Hampson. Within this letter he issued his will: Dan is to receive his belongings and their mother Mary Francis Hampson is to receive the pay he accrued while enlisted. He wishes his brother good luck and hopes that if either of them does not survive the war that they meet on the other side, if it exists.
The military authorities intervened in George’s case on the 6th June 1917, and the remaining 232 days of his sentence were fully remitted. George was now free to fight in the Allies’ 1917 offensive. He formalised his will, again naming Mrs Hampson. He was sent to France on the 1st July and on the 7th July was at Havre, a common entry port during WW1.
On the 23rd July 1917, George Aitken was listed as being in the field with the 5th Reinforcement Regiment of the 52nd Battalion. George Robert Aitken was killed in action on the 19th of October 1917 in Belgium on the Western Front, barely three months after he was released from prison. The news was published in The Queenslander in the 362nd List on Saturday, 8th December 1917.
Courtesy of The Cherbourg Memory.
Submitted 18 March 2021 by Lynette Turner
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
52nd Battalion AIF
Pte George Robert AITKEN was of Aboriginal descent - his mother an Aboriginal woman called Princess. He was raised by Thomas and Mary Hampson and grew up with their children. George and his step-brother Dan joined up together in April 1916 and sailed with the 5th Reinforcements to the 52nd Bn. Arriving in England in December.
Dan Hampson proceeded to France and joined the 47th Battalion. However, George was charged with disobeying an order from military police and punching a Sergeant Roberts in the face. Aitken was later court-martialled and sentenced to two years hard labour. Less than a week later, the ruling was commuted to 12 months detention and forfeiture of pay. Then in June 1917, he was released and he finally joined the 52nd Bn on 22 July 1917.
AT Broodeseinde Ridge, he was caught in an intense artillery barrage and killed. George’s will was informal, set out in a letter to his adoptive brother, Dan, a part of which read: ‘Well, Dan, I can safely say that we are the only two true mates there are in the world. That’s a big word to say. Well, Dan, if I gets knocked you can have anything you can find on me that is any use to you, and my allotted money to be left to Mrs Hampson. Show this to one of the heads; don’t forget.’
Newton HAMPSON was killed in action on 8 August 1918. Thomas HAMPSON was wounded in action (gassed) in May 1918.
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