Richard Edward GILBERT

GILBERT, Richard Edward

Service Numbers: 643, 230, 1917
Enlisted: 10 February 1916
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 49th Infantry Battalion
Born: Fulham, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom, 1 January 1879
Home Town: New Farm, Brisbane, Queensland
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Paddington, Brisbane - Queensland, Australia, 3 December 1928, aged 49 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Toowong (Brisbane General) Cemetery, Queensland
Plot: Portion 5. Section 63. Grave 17.
Memorials:
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Boer War Service

1 Oct 1899: Involvement Private, 230, Queensland Imperial Bushmen
1 Oct 1899: Involvement Private, 643
18 May 1900: Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 230, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 475 notes 4th QIB embarked 18 May 1900 aboard Manchester Port arriving Beira 14 Jun 1900.
15 Dec 1900: Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 230, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier notes invalided with head and eye injury returned to Australia aboard Harlech Castle arriving Brisbane 8 Dec 1900, discharged 15 Dec 1900.
20 Aug 1901: Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 643, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 506 notes 1st Draft of the 6th QIB embarked at Sydney 20 Aug 1901 aboard Britannic arriving Cape Town 22 Sep 1901.
23 Jun 1902: Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 643, 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 508 notes 6th QIB embarked at Durban 17 May 1902 aboard Devon returning to Australia arriving Brisbane 17 Jun 1902, disbanded 23 Jun 1902.

World War 1 Service

10 Feb 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1917, 49th Infantry Battalion
1 May 1916: Embarked Private, 1917, 49th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Clan McGillivray, Brisbane
1 May 1916: Involvement Private, 1917, 49th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan McGillivray embarkation_ship_number: A46 public_note: ''
8 Jun 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 1917, 49th Infantry Battalion, GSW to thigh.
8 Mar 1918: Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1917, 49th Infantry Battalion, Embarked 1 Nov 1917 for return to Australia aboard H. T. Anchisis disembarking 3 Jan 1918, discharged 8 Mar 1917.

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Biography contributed by Claude McKelvey

Richard Edward Gilbert was born in 1879 at Fulham, Middlesex, England, a son to Joseph Thomas Gilbert and Esther Gilbert (nee Dyer). It is unclear when he first came to Queensland, in 1816 he registered for military service in England and was still living in Surrey, England in 1881 (Eng. & Wales 1881 Census).

By 1900 he was in Queensland when he first enlisted for the South African (Boer) War giving his father as N.O.K. living at New Farm, Brisbane. It appears following his Boer War service he returned to England where he married Edith Anne Henley in 1904 at Ipswich, Suffolk. It is assumed the first of three children was born in England with a second son (1906) and daughter (1911) born in Queensland.

He served twice in the Boer War and again in WW1. First service was as a Private S.N. 230 in the 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, Boer War. Second service was as a Private S.N. 643 in the 6th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, Boer War. Third service was as a Private S.N. 1917 (1917A) in the 49th Infantry Battalion AIF, WW1. His previous Boer War service is noted on his WW1 Attestation Paper.

(sources- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 484 and 518; National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier (1st service) and WW1 service record; Familysearch- family history biography; BDM Qld).

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