DITTON, George
| Service Number: | 2638 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 July 1916, Barroul House, Kiama. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Moss Vales, New South Wales, Australia, 14 June 1892 |
| Home Town: | Moss Vale, Wingecarribee, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farm Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 20 January 1917, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Bulls Road Cemetery, Flers I. A. 38 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kangaroo Valley War Memorial, Moss Vale RSL War Memorial, Moss Vale War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Jul 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2638, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Barroul House, Kiama. | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 2638, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 2638, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Ceramic, Sydney | |
| 20 Jan 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2638, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
Keen to serve
George Ditton attempted to enlist on several occasions, finally successful on 8 June 1916 when the height restrictions were changed. The attrition of the war required the AIF to relax their strict earlier enlistment criteria.
He embarked from Sydney on the HMAT Ceramic on 7 October 1916 along with Shadrac McNellee and Jack Huxley, both from Kangaroo Valley and also in the 45th Battalion.
Ditton entered the war in the trenches at Flers on 18 January 1917 and was killed on 20 January, only two days after entering the field. There are no details of his death but it is likely that he was killed by shellfire while manning the frontline trench.
He is honoured on the war memorials at Kangaroo Valley and Moss Vale, as well as the Church of the Good Shepherd Honour Roll in Kangaroo Valley.
Submitted 21 December 2021 by Geoffrey Todd
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