Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

One of four brothers (George, Allan and John) who served in WWII, Staff Sergeant Gordon Douglas Conwell (Service Nos:Q108523/QX44885) served in the Militia prior to enlisting in the ACMF on 23 December 1942 as a Private (graded Clerk) attached to 5 Division Signals. Corporal Conwell was 'in the field' on 18 December 1942 when he Discharged, to enlist the following day in the AIF. Staff Sergeant Conwell then served in New Guinea with 3 Division Signals (21 January 1943 - 25 September 1944), and was attached to 5 Division Signals at Discharge on 10 December 1945.

Gordon was born in Nambour QLD in 1921, fourth of eight children of Thomas (Tom) Conwell (b1888 in Glasgow, Scotland) and Mary Chadwick (b1889 in Lancashire, England). Tom was a Farmer's son when he immigrated in 1908, arriving in Brisbane on board the Ortova, and Mary was a Cotton Weaver when she immigrated in 1913, arriving in Brisbane on board the Omrah. In 1917 Tom was a Farmer and Mary a Probationary Nurse when the married in Nambour. Tom and Mary lived in Nambour, where they raised their  family and Tom was a Farmer, until the mid 1930s when they moved to Brisbane and Tom worked as a Labourer.

Gordon worked in the Grocery and Fruit Marketing Business in Brisbane, and was a Clerk when he enlisted in the Army in 1941. In 1942 in Gympie he married Eileen Tompkins (b1921 in Gympie, QLD). Following his Discharge from the Army,  Gordon and Eileen settled in Brisbane - Gordon was a Clerk in Manufacturing and Real Estate before joining the Insurance Business as an Inspector. In 1952 Gordon was seriously injured in a three car head on crash (Trove;1952), In the 1960s the family lived in Maryborough and Toowoomba, where Gordon was a Manager for Commercial Union Insurance Co. Returning to Brisbane in the early 1970s, Gordon was recruited by the Defiance Group as an Insurance Manager (and known as DGC). Gordon and Eileen retired to Caloundra, where Gordon died in 2010 and Eileen in 2012.