LILLECRAPP, Gordon Brice
| Service Number: | 1784 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Walloway, South Australia, Australia, 8 December 1888 |
| Home Town: | Orroroo, Orroroo/Carrieton, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Orroroo Public School, Prince Alfred College |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 24 April 1918, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
Bonnay Communal Cemetery Extension Row B, Grave No. 33 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bruce WW1 & WW2 Roll of Honor, Kent Town Prince Alfred College 'Nobly Striving, Nobly Fell' Roll of Honour, Orroroo Baptist Sunday School Roll of Honour, Orroroo District Roll of Honour WW1, Orroroo Morchard Men Roll of Honor, Orroroo Morchard Methodist Church Memorial Window, Orroroo Morchard War Memorial, Orroroo Public School Roll of Honour, Orroroo War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 1784, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 13 Aug 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, 1784, 43rd Infantry Battalion, voyage only sergeant. | |
| 30 Sep 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, 1784, 43rd Infantry Battalion, reverted back to private once disembarked from the SS Ballarat | |
| 24 Nov 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 24 Apr 1918: | Involvement Sergeant, 1784, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1784 awm_unit: 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1918-04-24 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Harry Williams
The service of T/Sgt Gordon Lillecrapp.
On December 8th,1888, Mr Gordon Brice Lillecrapp was born in Walloway and may have gone to school there. After completing what his family saw was enough schooling, he worked as a farmer until February 18th, 1916. At the age of twenty-seven and two months, Gordon enlisted in the 43rd Infantry Battalion. He had previously served with the Base Light Horse, the details of which are unknown.
He embarked on the SS Ballarat in Adelaide on the 12th of August of the same year. He was appointed V.O. (voyage only) sergeant while on the Ballarat and was reverted to private once they landed at Plymouth on the 30th of September. In October, he attended musketry school. During November, he spent time in the 11th Training Battalion as a temporary sergeant(T/SGT)/ Corporal and the 10th Training Battalion as a Corporal.
On the 28th of November, he proceeded overseas to France and marched out to his unit. In early December he rejoined the 43rd Battalion two days after arriving, then was detached to brigade school in mid-January. He alternated between schools and his battalion for the next two months.
T/SGT Lillecrapp was positioned at Bonnay. The Germans started a heavy bombardment that lasted all day. They shelled Bonnay for the attack on Villers-Bretonneux, 8.6km south of Bonnay. At 4.15 AM the bombardment began and lasted till 6 AM. This attack was crucial as there was a mass of Allied troops in Bonnay and surrounding towns so the Germans needed to force a retreat of the Allies at any cost if they were to achieve their ojective of taking Villers-Bretonneux. Attacks were made by the Germans with infantry but were repulsed repeatedly. During night relief of B company (his company) T/SGT Lillecrapp was Killed in Action when he was hit by shrapnel from a shell - 24 April 1918. The unit diaries record “Much regret is felt throughout the company at the loss of a promising N.C.O. in T/SGT Lillecrapp G.”
T/SGT Lillecrapp's next-of-kin posthumously received his standard medals of his service, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
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