Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Albert Edward Gigney was a fighting man on the front lines for the Australian Imperial force in WWI, he was a great soldier, and was a survivor of the war. Albert Edward Gigney was a young Australian man who served in the 11th Light Horse Regiment.  Gigney was born in 1895 on the 18th of September and grew up in Magill, Adelaide, South Australia. He was the only boy and youngest of seven children, growing up with six sisters, his mother Emma Louisa West, and father Edward John Gigney. It was known that Gigney was a family man and went to see his grandparents every weekend. Edward Gigney was a builder and Emma West an English teacher. Gigney went to Magill primary and moved schools to Wellington Road school at the age of 10. Gigney had 3 jobs before enlisting in the war. The first job he got was an office boy, the second a warehouse assistant and lastly a farm labourer, this is where he perhaps got his skills for after the war. Gigney was a fair skinned man and had very dark features, he had rich dark hair and brown eyes. At the time of enlisting Gigney didn’t have a spouse and was therefore a single man. Gigney was a member of a band when he was in high school, he played the baritone, he quite enjoyed playing the baritone and loved having a hobby outside of school.

Gigney’s life changed at the age of 19 years and 11 months when he enlisted on the 1st of December 1915. Gigney fought in Egypt and was wounded on the fighting line. There were many occasions were Gigney attended hospital in the front lines, he was sick many times and had to get his tonsils removed due to having tonsilitis. Gigney stayed in the 11th Light Horse Regiment until he was discharged from war. Gigney was involved in the war from the 18th of November 1915, and he was fighting in Egypt till the 19th of April 1917. Gigney was given a medal during his time of service for being a part of the 4th military district.  While on duty, on 24th April 1917, Gigney was wounded and a letter was sent home to his family letting them know their son and brother had been wounded in the fighting lines, he was shot in the left lower forearm and attended hospital and stayed there while he was recovering.

When Gigney returned to Australia on the 17th of July 1919, after the war, he returned to his childhood home in Magill, Adelaide. When he returned home, he went back to hopefully find a wife and was successful, as he soon married a women named Sarah Elizabeth Grattan Hardy.   They moved from Gigney’s hometown of Adelaide and later settled in Western Australia starting his life as a farmer, which he had been exposed to when he was younger.  Gigney and his wife were successful in starting a family together as they had a baby girl and named her Gloria Alberta Gigney. After settling with his new family, Gigney and his wife worked their family farm together, whilst their daughter attended school.  In 1986, Gigney’s wife Hardy, sadly died and eight years later in 1994, at 98 years of age Albert Edward Gigney passed away of natural causes and was buried. It was not soon after in the year 1999 Gigney’s daughter Gloria also passed away.