GILLIGAN, Francis Abraham
| Service Number: | 1494 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 December 1914, Lismore, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 15th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Cullendulla, Batemans Bay, New South Wales, Australia, 14 December 1889 |
| Home Town: | Lismore, Lismore Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Illness, Brisbane General Hospital, Queensland, Australia, 1 August 1943, aged 53 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld ANZAC-7-85-46 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Dec 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lismore, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb 1915: | Involvement Private, 1494, 15th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Seang Choon embarkation_ship_number: A49 public_note: '' | |
| 13 Feb 1915: | Embarked Private, 1494, 15th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Seang Choon, Brisbane | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1494, 15th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 10 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1494, 15th Infantry Battalion, RTA from Suez per HT Itonus | |
| 9 Aug 1916: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1494, 15th Infantry Battalion, Medically Unfit |
Francis Abraham Gilligan - My Grandfather
Francis Abraham Gilligan was born on the South Coast of NSW.
He was 24 when he enlisted in Lismore NSW with his Brother John on 24th December 1914.
He sailed from Brisbane on the Seang Choon.
His Brother John was killed in Villier Bretonneaux.
Francis stayed on in different WW1 postings until his return due to ill health in 1917. Francis married Agnes Ellen Schneider in Casino in 1918, they had four children John, Gladys, James and Lorraine (Mary), then separated and divorced due to his health issues following great personal damage from this war.
It took me years to find Dad's Father for him and only by coincidence, visiting an old cousin in Casino did we see that he had died in Brisbane in 1943 aged 53.
I purchased his death certificate and sadly noted that his family did not note his children on his death certificate.
Also he is buried under grass with no plaque in the Anzac area of Lutwyche Cemetery in Brisbane. I have laid flowers at this site (from cemetery records).
I do not understand why a veteran of so much great commitment to the war effort, who also suffered the death of his Brother, was not given the dignity of a plaque.
I am in the process of having my Grandfather, who I did not know acknowledged as the committed, hard working Australian citizen and Service Man that he was.
Amanda Gilligan
Submitted 16 March 2016 by Amanda Gilligan
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