Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Gordon Rankin Inglis was born in Williamstown, Victoria in 1891, the second of three children of David Gordon Inglis and Lydahlia McLean.

Gordon’s father was a Scottish master mariner who had been apprenticed as a seaman at the age of 15. He had eventually settled in Williamstown, Victoria where he married Gordon’s mother in 1887. The electoral rolls describe David Inglis as a master mariner living at 12 Railway Crescent, Williamstown but by 1910 the family was living at 44 Railway Crescent. For 15 years David Inglis served as a gunner with the Victorian Navel Militia as a Warrant Officer of the Permanent Naval Forces. He then worked in the ordnance section of the Defence Department before being appointed to the Customs service. Two weeks after this appointment David Inglis became ill and passed away from heart failure in the Melbourne Hospital on 15 January 1910. 

David Inglis had been a member of the Scottish Thistle Society and held the position of Pipe Major in the societies band. As a young man Gordon Inglis followed in his father’s footsteps and took up the bagpipes and by 1914, he was Pipe Sergeant in the South and Port Melbourne Pipe Band and he was the winner of the Australian Amateur Pipe Contest held in Sydney that year.  

Gordon worked as a clerk in the Victorian Railways Rolling Stock Accounts Office and also served in the militia as a member of the Victorian Scottish Regiment. He enlisted in the AIF on 17 August 1914 as a member of “A” Company of the 5th Australian Infantry Battalion with the rank of Corporal. Many of the 5th Battalion's members had previously served with the Victorian Scottish Regiment including the battalion's first commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel David Stanley Wanliss. After training at Broadmeadows the battalion left Port Melbourne on 21 October aboard the troopship Orvietto (A3) bound for Albany. On 1 November a convoy of 36 Australian transports and 10 more from New Zealand left Albany. Two more ships would later join them from Fremantle.

After the retreat of the German East Asia Squadron from Southeast Asia, the light cruiser Emden remained behind to function as a commerce raider. During a two-month period, the German cruiser captured or sank 25 civilian vessels, shelled Madras, and destroyed two Allied warships at Penang. In early November, Emden’s captain, Karl von Müller, decided to attack the communications station at Direction Island, in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, to hamper Allied communications and frustrate the search for his ship. Around the same time, the convoy of transports carrying Australian and New Zealand soldiers departed from Albany, Western Australia, with HMAS Melbourne, HMAS Sydney, HMS Minotaur, and Japanese battlecruiser Ibuki escorting.

During the night of 8–9 November, Emden reached the islands, and sent a party ashore at around 06:00 to disable the wireless and cable transmission station on Direction Island. The station was able to transmit a distress call before it was shut down. Melbourne received the message, and ordered Sydney to investigate. The Australian ship arrived off Direction Island at 09:15, spotting and being spotted by Emden; both ships prepared for combat. Emden opened fire at 09:40, surprising those aboard Sydney as the range was greater than British intelligence thought Emden was capable of. The German ship scored several hits, but was unable to inflict disabling damage to the Australian cruiser before Sydney opened up with her more powerful main guns. At 11:20, von Müller ordered that the heavily damaged Emden beach on North Keeling Island. The Australian warship broke to pursue the collier Buresk, which scuttled herself, then returned to North Keeling Island at 16:00. At this point, Emden's battle ensign was still flying, and after no response to instructions to lower the ensign, Sydney fired two salvoes into the beached cruiser. Sydney had orders to ascertain the status of the transmission station, but returned the next day to provide medical assistance to the Germans.

Of Emden’s crew, 134 were killed and 69 wounded, compared to only 4 killed and 16 wounded aboard Sydney. The German survivors were taken aboard the Australian cruiser, with most transferred to auxiliary cruiser Empress of Russia on 12 November. Sydney rejoined the troop convoy in Colombo. 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cocos)

The convoy arrived safely in Colombo on 15 November.

At Colombo the following members of the crew of the Emden were placed on board the Orvieto as prisoners of War. 4 Officers, 3 Warrant Officers, 46 men. As no parole was obtained from them they were kept in close confinement on board.

Left Colombo on 17th November and arrived at Aden on 25th November. Left Aden on 26th November and arrived at Port Said on 1st December. The German prisoners were transferred to HMS Hampshire at this port.

“A” Company disembarked here and went by train to Cairo as advance party to the Division. 

(Australian War Memorial. Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War.  AWM4 Subclass 23/22 - 5th Infantry Battalion  https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1343840)

The remainder of the battalion arrived at Mena Camp, about 10 miles south east of Cairo in the shadow of the pyramids, on the 4th and 5th of December where training commenced in earnest on 10 December. The soldiers trained six days a week and every Sunday the battalion conducted a route march followed by a church parade. Gordon’s service record shows that on 10 April 1915 Gordon Inglis was charged with being absent from parade having failed to attend the Divine Service on Sunday 4 April. His punishment was to be reduced to the rank of Lance Corporal.

On the same day as his offence the battalion left Mena Camp. This punishment may have been only for a short duration because all subsequent documents on his service record refer to him by the rank of Corporal. He was however ordered to leave his bagpipes behind.

On 4 April 1915 the battalion, which was around 1,000 strong at the time, boarded a small ship named the Novian at Alexandria, Egypt and steamed for four days north across the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas to the Greek island of Lemnos. Three uncomfortable weeks were spent aboard the Novian – a dirty ship, cramped conditions and the food was poor.

At 12:30 on the afternoon of 24th April 1915 the Novian left its Lemnos mooring and steamed northeasterly for about 120 km and anchored off Anzac Cove on the west side of Gallipoli Peninsula before daybreak on 25th April. After a move in boats, the leading troops of the 5th Battalion touched the shoreline between 5:30 and 6:00 am.

There had already been confusion over the landing place and the order of landing for the invasion force of Australians and New Zealanders and immediately upon reaching the shore the 5th Battalion became seriously disorganized.

As the battalion was forming up the just inland from the beach, the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel D.S. Wanliss, was personally ordered by the Commander 1st Australian Division, Major General W.S. Bridges, to push on eastward to reinforce the firing line, the actual line and direction to it being unclear.

Also only two companies of the battalion (‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies) and one platoon of ‘C’ Company were ashore and Colonel Wanliss was ordered not to wait for the remainder of his battalion (three platoons and the headquarters of ‘C’ Company and all of ‘D’ Company). Thus the battalion became split at the outset of battle.

During the move eastwards Colonel Wanliss became separated from the battalion because of thick scrub and ravines. This meant that movement ashore could no longer be coordinated by the battalion commander.

The battalion’s soldiers ashore moved during the morning up a ridge nicknamed The Razorback to a crest about 900 metres inland. There was no sign of the enemy beyond the crest but as soon as the move continued enemy shrapnel, machine-gun and rifle fire began to rain down with all movement.

While continuing to move forward in short rushes, the formations of sections and platoons were lost in the thick scrub. The troops by then were on what is known as the 400 Plateau which includes the present-day Lone Pine Cemetery, ANZAC and the Lone Pine Memorial.

During the afternoon after further thrusts on the 400 Plateau, the forward troops were ordered to pull back and for the 5th Battalion this meant to a ridge nicknamed Bolton’s Ridge to the west of Lone Pine and running south-westerly back to the coast. 

(The Fate of the 5th Battalion AIF on 25th April 1915. K McKay. 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment Association. https://www.5rar.asn.au/history/fate-5th-battalion-25th-april-1915.pdf)

Gordon Inglis was able to describe for himself what happened on that day. On 31 July 1915 the Footscray Chronicle published a letter written by Gordon to his mother.

Corporal Gordon Inglis writes on June 3 to his mother from No. 17 General Hospital, in the Mediterranean:— “At last I am able to write a few lines myself. I have just enough, strength to sit in a chair, propped up with pillows. Oh. if you only saw me as I am at the present moment! I weigh about seven stone, and my arms and legs are no thicker than a broom handle; but, thank God, I am on the mend now. I was wounded the day we landed (Sunday, April 25), about 2.30 p.m. and was taken aboard a ship on which they put 850 aboard, with only one doctor, without any instruments, and a couple of army medical chaps. My condition was pretty bad, and I owe my life to Hughie Blair, who had a slight scalp wound, and saw me on the beach in a dying condition. However, he cared for me and got me aboard and made me comfortable — going without himself. He nursed me night and day, never leaving me. My lieutenant, who was aboard, wounded in three places, used to come down and see me, and the doctor always followed his visit. I expect he sent him.

I got very bad on the Wednesday night, so they decided to take me away from where I was below up on deck, where so many were taken only to be buried. But, no. Hughie would not let them touch me. He would have killed them had they touched me. Well, we arrived here on Thursday night, and I still lived, so the following morning I was carried ashore by Hughie, and put in an ambulance waggon and brought to this hospital on April 30. I have had three operations up to date, but my bullet is still inside. Don't get a fright when I tell you that it is in the region of the heart. I have been X-rayed five times to see if it alters its position: but the doctors have no fear of it, and I have less. I have a couple of ribs to mend yet, and a fractured clavicle, but for all that I am getting on like a house on fire, slowly getting my strength back. I laid on my back for four weeks without a move, and had to be fed. Then, after the last operation, I had to lie on my right side only for nearly a fortnight. The result was I became paralysed right down that side. But this letter will prove that it is nearly better although it has taken me hours to write this much. I receive the best of attention by all and sundry, and am 'the father of the ward now. All the others have either gone to England or to the convalescent camp — or died. But their places are always quickly filled by new cases. My diet consists of chicken, fish, milk and a hundred other things, and I am beginning to eat like a horse now. Well, I could write a hundred pages of news, but I am getting weary, and will write again soon. I may be sent either to England or Australia any day. No more fighting for me, says the doctor.” 

(CORPORAL GORDON INGLIS. (1915, July 31). Footscray Chronicle (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154142133)

Gordon had been admitted to the No 17 British Military Hospital in Alexandria on 30 April 1915 where he underwent three unsuccessful operations to remove the bullet in his left lung sitting close to his heart. He remained a patient there until 23 September 1915 when he was transferred to the Hospital Ship Karoola for transport to England. On 5 October he was admitted to the 3rd Western General Hospital in Cardiff where his condition was described as “severe”. From Cardiff he was transferred to Swansea where he was admitted to the General and Eye Red Cross Hospital in Swansea.

On 24 January 1916 Gordon Inglis underwent another operation to remove the bullet from his lung but he died at 6 p.m. that same day. His remains were interred on 27 January 1915 at the Danycraig Cemetery in Swansea where he is the only Australian.

WANTED A BAGPIPE SKIRL

LAST REQUEST OF A DYING ANZAC

In connection with the death of Corporal Inglis, one of the wounded Colonials at Swansea YMCA Hospital, Mr Dawson (H.M. Customs) relates a last pathetic request. Inglis was a Scotchman and a pipe-major, and in the latter capacity was one of the best players on the bagpipes in Australia. When he responded to the call of King and country he took his beloved pipes with him to Gallipoli, but the authorities would not allow them to be landed, and he never saw them again. Many times to Mr Dawson, the deceased young fellow, thinking probably of his old home and the happy times he had had with them, expressed his wonder as to where his bagpipes had gone to.

And just before his death he said that if he died in hospital there was one thing he hoped for and that was that a skirl of bagpipes would be played over his grave.

On Wednesday Mr Dawson got into communication with members of the local Caledonian Society in the hope that someone could be found who would be able to gratify the Colonial’s dying wish. 

(South Wales Weekly Post. 5 February 1916. Hobsons Bay City Council Sons of Williamstown  http://sonsofwilliamstown.com.au/portfolio/gr-inglis/)

The Piper’s “Last Lament” at Danycraig

A pathetic scene was witnessed on Tuesday at the Danycraig Cemetery, when Piper Donald Frazer carried out the dying wish of a young Australian, Private Inglis – who died from wounds at Swansea – that the pipes should be played over his grave. Piper Frazer and a number of wounded soldiers are shown standing around the flower bedecked grave.

(Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder. 5 February 1916. Hobsons Bay City Council Sons of Williamstown  http://sonsofwilliamstown.com.au/portfolio/gr-inglis/)

According to Gordon Inglis’s service record his bagpipes were shipped back to his home on 10 March 1916 along with a pair of mittens.

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

Died on this date – 24th January…… Gordon Rankin Inglis was born in 1891 at Williamstown, Victoria.

His father – David Gordon Inglis, died on 15th January, 1910 at Williamstown, Victoria.

Gordon Rankin Inglis enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 17th August, 1914 as a 22 year old, single, Clerk from 44 Railway Crescent, Williamstown, Victoria.

According to information provided by his mother for the Roll of Honour – Gordon Inglis had previously served with Scotch Regiment, Victoria for 5 years.

He was posted to 5th Infantry Battalion on 17th August, 1914 for recruit training & was appointed to the rank of Corporal.

Corporal Gordon Rankin Inglis, Service number 32, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Orvieto (A3) on 21st October, 1914 with the 5th Infantry Battalion “A” Company.

On 5th April, 1915 Corporal Inglis embarked from Alexandria on Troopship Novian to join M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at the Gallipoli Campaign.

He was reduced to the rank of Lance Corporal on 10th April, 1915 while he was on board Troopship A12 Novian for being Absent from Parade (Divine service) at Mena on 4th April, 1915.

Lance Corporal Gordon Rankin Inglis was wounded at Dardanelles on 26th April, 1915 with wounds to left Lung & arm (severe). He was admitted to 17th General Hospital at Alexandria on 30th April, 1915.

He was transferred from Alexandria on 23rd September, 1915 for England on Hospital Ship Karoola. 

On 5th October, 1915 Lance Corporal Inglis was admitted to 3rd Western General Hospital, Cardiff, Wales. His condition was listed as “sick severe.”

Lance Corporal Gordon Rankin Inglis died at 6 pm on 24th January, 1916 at the General and Eye Red Cross Hospital, Swansea, England after an operation to remove a bullet from his left Lung. The Report of Death of a Soldier (Army Form B. 2090) recorded that Corporal Inglis, Accountant, died at Swansea General Hospital from a bullet wound to left lung, received in action at Gallipoli & Tubercle supervening.

He was buried on 27th January, 1916 in Danygraig Cemetery, Swansea, Glamorganshire, United Kingdom – Plot number I. 594 and now has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/swansea.html