WALLACE, George Byron
| Service Number: | 3371 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 March 1917, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 9th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Auburn, South Australia, Australia , 9 January 1898 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Walkerville School, Pulteney Street School and St Peter's College, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Student |
| Died: | Died of Illness, Egypt, 20 January 1918, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt B 121 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Gilberton Soldiers Memorial Swimming Reserve, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, SA Caledonian Society Soldiers Memorial WW1 Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Mar 1917: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3371, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3371, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Commonwealth embarkation_ship_number: A73 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Nov 1917: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3371, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Commonwealth, Melbourne | |
| 20 Jan 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 3371, 9th Light Horse Regiment, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3371 awm_unit: 9 Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1918-01-20 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Nicholas Egan
Margaret Phillips
Club Historian Gilberton Amateur Swimming Club Inc
George was born in Auburn in January 1898 but was raised in Walkerville, attending Walkerville Primary School, followed by Pulteney Street School. At twelve years of age he was regarded as an artist of merit having five paintings hung and obtaining a First Prize in an Adelaide Art Exhibition. He gained the Caledonia Society’s Scholarship to study at St. Peter’s College for three years and also a scholarship at the Adelaide Business Shorthand Academy.
While at St Peter’s College he served four years in the senior cadets and attained the rank of second lieutenant and upon turning 18 years of age, he passed into the 80 th Infantry Regiment (Gawler) Citizens Force as a sergeant.
George enlisted with his brother William and they travelled together by train to Melbourne to embark. In early January 1918, George was admitted to the 2 nd Australian Stationary Hospital suffering with mumps. There his condition developed into acute cellulitis on his left cheek and neck and he died at 1.30am on 20 January 1918. Nine months later his brother William died of pneumonia.
Biography
From the book Fallen Saints
George Byron Wallace of Walkerville was born at Auburn, South Australia in January 1898. He received his early education at Walkerville School and the Pulteney street Grammar School and passed the Primary Examination in six subjects at just 12 years of age.
The following year he passed the Junior Examination, and gained the Caledonian Society’s Scholarship for three years at St. Peter’s College, and also a scholarship at the Adelaide Business and Shorthand Academy. He won the shorthand and Scripture prizes at Pulteney-street. In 1918 he passed the Senior Examination, and in November 1915, was top in an exam for a position in the A.M.P. Society, and became a junior clerk in the office, where he was held in great esteem. [i]
While at the School he had served four years in the senior cadets attained the rank of second lieutenant and upon turning 18 years of age passed into the 80th Infantry Regiment (Gawler), Citizens Force as a sergeant.
After enlisting in Adelaide on 12 March 1917 he and was posted to Mitcham Camp where on 16 April he joined the 28th quota of reinforcements for the 9th Light Horse Regiment; three months later he was later reallotted to the 30th quota with his older brother William.
George was charged for being late back from leave or absenting himself without leave three times while at Mitcham Camp and perhaps it was not a coincidence that when he returned from leave two hours twenty minutes late on 8 October his brother William was also charged with being AWL that day?
On 29 October, the Wallace brothers travelled by train to Melbourne with others of the 30th quota and sailed from Melbourne aboard HMAT Commonwealth on 2 November 1917.
In early January, 20 year old Trooper George Wallace was admitted to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital suffering with mumps, swelling and redness around his mouth. There his condition developed into acute cellulitis on his left cheek and neck and he died at 1.30 a.m., on 20 January 1918; nine months later his brother, 21 year old William died of pneumonia.
No doubt, George and William would have played together as boys, shared the same friends, adventures, secrets, and roamed the hills of the Clare Valley with their favourite dog.
Both had served in the school cadets and although William had earlier been deemed medically unfit for service with the Citizen’s Force, by September 1916 he was fit enough to reinforce the shrinking ranks of the 9th Light Horse Regiment.
After suffering the loss of two sons Mr William Thomas Wallace of Balaklava South Australia was understandably hurt after a letter he had written in June was returned because he had not placed a two-penny stamp on it.
In a letter to the OIC Base Records dated 22 February 1918, he stated that he had mistakenly believed ‘postage was free’ and how he had ‘felt it very keenly’ that a paltry sum of two pence was not paid at the other end. In a second letter, he added this short poem and affixed a stamp to the envelope before posting it.
When the war is on & they made a call
God & the soldier is all in all.
When the war is o’er & all things righted
God’s forgotten then & the soldier slighted. [ii]
[i] Adelaide Chronicle, 23 February 1918, p. 37
[ii] National Archives of Australia: B 2455, Wallace William Nicholls/ 8361081, viewed 10 December 2007
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