Victor Frederick GAMEAU

Badge Number: 27903, Sub Branch: Woodville
27903

GAMEAU, Victor Frederick

Service Number: 4119
Enlisted: 29 November 1915, Adelaide, SA
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 27th Infantry Battalion
Born: Two Wells South Australia, date not yet discovered
Home Town: Two Wells, Mallala, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Property salesman
Died: 8 November 1941, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered, age not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials: Adelaide Grand Masonic Lodge WW1 Honour Board (1), Mallala Two Wells Pictorial Honour Roll 2, Prospect Roll of Honour A-G WWI Board, Two Wells WW1 Memorial
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World War 1 Service

29 Nov 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4119, 27th Infantry Battalion, Adelaide, SA
9 Mar 1916: Involvement Private, 4119, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: RMS Mongolia embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: ''
9 Mar 1916: Embarked Private, 4119, 27th Infantry Battalion, RMS Mongolia, Adelaide
Date unknown: Wounded 4119

Help us honour Victor Frederick Gameau's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Born 22 April 1884 at Port Gawler, Victor was the son of John Joseph GAMEAU and Emily Jane nee CODD

Husband of Daisy Adelaide GAMEUA of Prospect Road, Prospect, SA

Victor died 8th November 1941 aged 57 years and is buried at Cheltenham Cemetery. Section C Drive A Path 6 (17) Site 1825N

With the death of Mr. Victor F. Gameau, of Findon road, Woodville, South Australia has lost its most prominent advocate for the development of the egg industry in this State. He was Federal president of the Commonwealth Egg Producers' Council for ten years, president of the Red Comb Egg Association for 15 years, president of the National Utility Poultry Breeders' Association, chairman of the Egg Supervision Committee which was appointed by the Commonwealth Government to advise on export matters since war was declared, and a member of the South Australian Wartime Egg Marketing Committee. He was associated with all bodies for the improvement of the poultry industry in South Australia for more than 20 years, and helped in placing the industry on a sound commercial basis. Only recently he assisted in the framing of the Egg Marketing Bill which is now before Parliament.


As a young man Mr. Gameau lived at Two Wells, where his family were farmers. He served in the last war, and on his return established a large modern poultry farm at Findon road, Woodville. He was a member of the Woodville Bowling Club, and as a young man was a prominent tennis player. He married Miss Daisy Badman, a daughter of Mr. J. L. Badman, of Adelaide, who survives. There are two sons— Messrs. Jack and Tom (of Woodville) — and one daughter, Margaret (Woodville).

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Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College

Victor Frederick Gameau was a part of the 27th Battalion, 10th Reinforcement.  He was born in Two Wells, a small town in South Australia, in 1884. Gameau’s father was a dairy farmer and taught him from the age of 18. However, he later became a property salesman. Gameau was married to a woman called Daisy Adelaide Gameau, who was born in 1886. Gameau and Daisy also had two children together, both around 3-5 years old before Gameau’s departure.

Victor Frederick Gameau enlisted on the 29th of November 1915 at the age of 31 years and 7 months in Adelaide. On the 8th March 1916 Gameau embarked to Egypt on the ship Mongolia to begin his training for the Western Front. Gameau endured in gruelling physical fitness exercises like continuous running. He also learned how to march, follow commands effectively, and how to use their weapons. On the 5th of April 1916, Gameau was promoted to A/CPL (Acting Corporal). Gameau was hospitalised at Fargo Military Hospital in Britain during October 1916 due to burns which then developed into Pneumonia, however, he recovered enough to embark to France 16th January 1917.

On the 21st of January 1917 he was promoted to Lance Corporal (L/C). 

The battle of the Hindenburg Line occurred from February 1917 – March 1917. On February 3rd he returned from the sidelines ready to fight, though he only spent another 5 days in battle as on the 8th of February 1917 he sprained his right ankle from falling into a hole in the trench duckboard. He was admitted to the Ontario Military Hospital and then was transferred back to England for further treatment and rest. On the 5th April 1917 he was again promoted this time to T/Sergeant. On the 17th April after furlough, once discharged from hospital, he again returned to battle, fighting at Ypres until November 1917.

In April 1918 Gameau and his battalion participated in the German Spring Offensive. This battle began on March 1st and ended on the 27th of May. The Germans launched a massive assultt on the allies with their goal of ending the war and to bring peace on their own terms.

On the 10th of June 1918 Victor Frederick Gameau participated in his last battle, The Third Battle of Morlancourt. On the night of June, the 10th Gameau suffered a horrific injury to his right knee. The injury was most likely sustained by exploding shells, flooded trenches, or from being near a bombed area. On the 22nd of June he was admitted to the Central Military Hospital in England. He voluntarily requested to revert to the rank of Private on 31st February 1918. Gameau spent the remainder of the war in England injured in various hosptials. He went AWL for a few hours on the 23rd August and was told off. He got into trouble again on the 26th September 1918 for refusing to follow orders. He was discharged on 27th April 1919, medically ufit.

 

 

 

 

 

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