GILDER, Archibald Ernest Basil
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 May 1915, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Paddington, New South Wales, Australia, 3 March 1894 |
| Home Town: | Hurstville, Kogarah, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Cleveland Street Public School |
| Occupation: | Journalist |
| Died: | Natural causes, At home, 16 Wentworth Road, Vaucluse, NSW, 22 September 1941, aged 47 years |
| Cemetery: |
Privately Cremated |
| Memorials: | Sydney Morning Herald and Sydney Mail Record of War Service |
World War 1 Service
| 17 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Jul 1915: | Involvement 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Orsova embarkation_ship_number: A67 public_note: '' | |
| 14 Jul 1915: | Embarked 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Orsova, Sydney | |
| 17 Apr 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Major, Officer, 2nd Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Mr. S.A.E.B. Gilder of Mosman, Archibald was born in Sydney in March 1894, and educated at the Cleveland Street Public School. He joined the reporting staff of the Sydney Morning Herald as a cadet in 1912.
In February, 1915, he enlisted as a Private, and in the following June, was gazetted as Second-Lieutenant and appointed to the command of the 7th reinforcements for the 2nd Battalion, leaving for Egypt in July. In Gallipoli he acted as machine gun officer for the 2nd Battalion. After the evacuation he spent a few weeks in hospital, and in January rejoined his unit at Tel-el-Kebir, being gazetted as First Lieutenant shortly afterwards. When the 1st Machine Gun Company was formed at Serapeum he was seconded from his battalion as second in command. Upon his gazettal to the rank of Captain in March, 1916, he returned to the 2nd Battalion as a company commander, and proceeded to France. He was wounded at Pozieres.
After acting for two months as aide-de-camp to the General Officer Commanding the First Division, he went to England for seven months to assist in the training of redinforcements from Australia. He rejoined his battalion about the middle of 1917 with the rank of Major, and took part in the fighting at Passchedaele, Hazebrouck, Hill 60 and Verbranden Molen, and was in the final battles in which the first brigade was engaged at Villeret and Hargicourt, on the outer defences of the Hindenburg line. At the signing of the armistice he was in Bazeul, in front of Le Cateau, and then proceeded with the battalion to Charleroi in Belgium.
At the beginning of 1919 Major Gilder assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, and remained in that position till March, when the Battalion was disbanded.
Mr. Gilder joined the circualtion branch of the 'Herald' and in 1931 he was appointed Victorian Representative. He was appointed advertising manager in 1939.
He was survived by Mrs. Gilder and two children. There was a private cremation.
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