George KING MBE, MC

George KING MBE, MC Update Details

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S3719

KING, George

Service Numbers:	169, Officer, S213038
Enlisted:	16 April 1916
Last Rank:	Captain
Last Unit:	43rd Infantry Battalion
Born:	Mount Gambier, South Australia, 1 February 1881
Home Town:	Mount Gambier, Mount Gambier, South Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Stationer
Died:	Natural Causes, South Australia, 10 April 1966, aged 85 years
Cemetery:	Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia
Memorials:	Mount Gambier Court Marian No 3316 AOF Roll of Honour, Mount Gambier Knight & Cleve Pictorial Honour Rolls

Boer War Service

1 Oct 1899:	Involvement Private, 169, 8th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse

World War 1 Service

16 Apr 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1
9 Jun 1916:	Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: ''
9 Jun 1916:	Embarked AIF WW1, Captain, Officer, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide
11 Nov 1918:	Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, 43rd Infantry Battalion

World War 2 Service

30 Nov 1939:	Involvement Captain, S213038
30 Nov 1939:	Enlisted Keswick, SA
30 Nov 1939:	Enlisted S213038
2 Apr 1942:	Discharged

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

Biography

Wife: Mrs Marion May King (nee ______), Commercial Road, Mount Gambier, South Australia.

Previous service with 22nd Australian Light Horse Regiment.

Apprentice with Brown and Holland, Mount Gambier for 5 years.

Described on enlisting as 35 years 4 months old; married; 6' 1 1/4" tall; 11 stone 11 lbs;
Church of England.

16/4/1916 Enlisted in Adelaide

16/4-24/5/1916 Lieutenant with D Company, 43rd Infantry Battalion

24/5-1/6/1916 Lieutenant with C Company, 43rd Infantry Battalion

1/6/1916 Captain with 43rd Infantry Battalion

9/6/1916 Embarked from Adelaide (Outer Harbour) on HMAT Afric A19
Captain in C Company, 43rd Infantry Battalion

The HMAT A19 Afric weighed 11,999 tons with an average cruise speed of 13 knots or 24.07 kmph. It was owned by the Federal SN Co Ltd, London. The Afric was torpedoed and sunk in the English Chanel, 12 February 1917.

The battalion embarked in June 1916 and, after landing briefly in Egypt, went on to Britain for further training.

20/7/1916 Disembarked into Marseilles, France and proceeded to England

25/11/1916 Proceeded overseas to France
26/11/1916 Disembarked into Havre, France

The battalion arrived on the Western Front in late December 1916.

20/1/1917           Sick to 9th Field Ambulance in the field - Gastro enteritis
24/1/1917           Transferred to Anzac Officer Rest House
3/2/1917             Rejoined 43rd Battalion

The 43rd Battalion spent 1917 bogged in bloody trench warfare in Flanders.

7/5/1917             Sick - admitted to 11th Field Ambulance - Influenza
25/5/1917           Transferred to 8th Michelham Conv. Home, Dieppe
11/6/1917           Discharged to Base Depot
16/6/1917           Rejoined 43rd Battalion in the field

In June the battalion took part in the Battle of Messines.

31/7 & 1/8/1917

4/8/1917 Admitted to field ambulance in the field
11/8/1917 Discharged to duty, rejoined unit

26/9/1917 Mentioned in the London Gazette (Page 9981, position 11)
Awarded - "Military Cross"

29/9/1917 Attached to 'School of Instruction'

9/10/1917 Awarded the "Military Cross"

3/11/1917 Rejoned unit, ex detachment

In October 1917 the battalion took part in the Third Battle of Ypres.

10/12/1917 Admitted to 9th Field Ambulance - Bronchitis
19/12/1917 Transferred to 14th General Hospital, Boulogne, France

29/121917 - Granted sick leave (to England)
19/1/1918

15/1/1918 Admitted to Cobham Hall Hospital, England
25/1/1918 Discharged to Weymouth

31/1/1918          Returned to Australia per HMT Argyllshire - Bronchitis
                          Transferred ship to A8 Osterley, at Capetown, South Africa
13/4/1918         Disembarked into Melbourne, Australia
14/4/1918         Arrived back into Keswick, South Australia

7/6/1918 Discharged from service

Medals:
Military Cross, British War Medal (13492), Victory Medal (13303).

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 21/10/2014. Lest we forget.

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War Memorial
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