GELLON, Percival James Garfield
| Service Number: | 785 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 7th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia, 1888 |
| Home Town: | Bendigo, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Eaglehawk State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Groom |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Steele's Post, Gallipoli, Turkey, 5 July 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, Gallipoli Plot II, Row C, Grave No. 9 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bendigo Great War Roll of Honor, Eaglehawk Uniting Church Honour Board and Memorial Windows, South Melbourne Great War Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 785, 7th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 785, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 785, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 785, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, Originally declared missing after the landing however turned up wounded (shoulder) several days later. | |
| 5 Jul 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 785, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, KIA at Steele's Post |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Larna Malone
Percival James Garfield Gellon, known as ‘Pompy’, was born in Eaglehawk, the son of James & Elizabeth Gellon, of Caldwell’s-road, Eaglehawk. He was Married to Ruby Elizabeth Gellon and the couple had two children. They lived at 53 Wills Street, Bendigo. Percival Gellon was a Groom, employed at the Gunbower Hotel. He had previously worked as a Miner at the Catherine Reef United mine & South New Moon mine, and had also been employed as a Farm Labourer in Gunbower. He was 26 years old and had previous military service in the 8th AIR, Bendigo. He was amongst the early volunteers for the Expeditionary Force, enlisting on 18.8.14. The following day he left Bendigo for the Broadmeadows Camp. He was allotted Service no. 785 and appointed to ‘G’ Company, 7th Battalion. While at Broadmeadows he became a Signaller.
Prior to Embarkation he was Presented with a memento by the Borough of Eaglehawk (either Pocket wallet, wristlet watch, or shaving outfit).
The 7th Battalion left Broadmeadows Camp on 18 October, 1914, and embarked for service overseas on board HMAT ‘Hororata’. Arriving in Egypt the battalion moved into camp at Mena, at the foot of the pyramids. (6/12/14)
In January, 1915, the Australian force was re-organized. In the 7th Battalion ‘G’ and ‘H’ Companies joined to form the new ‘D’ Company. This meant that all the men from Northern Victoria were together in one Company.
The 7th Battalion was part of the force which landed at Anzac Cove on 25th April, 1915. Percival James Garfield Gellon was Wounded in the shoulder during the early stages of the Landing. He rejoined the battalion on 18/5/15.
On July 3rd the 7th Battalion moved into the trenches at Steele’s Post. On July 5th the Battalion War Diary entry records “From 4.05 a.m. until 7.45 a.m. the enemy bombarded the sector held by the 7th Bn with shrapnel & high explosive shell of about 15 pr from Battleship Hill Mortar & Gun Ridges”.
A great deal of damage was done to the parapets, 3 men were killed & 6 were wounded. Percival James Garfield Gellon was one of the men killed during the shelling. He was Buried the following day, at the Military Burial Ground, Shrapnel Gully. The burial was conducted by Rev. W. E. Dexter.
The Military Burial Ground, Shrapnel Gully, was later known as Shrapnel Valley Cemetery.
“The First Lot. 7th Battalion. The first men of the Bendigo district to volunteer for service in the First World War.”: Larna Malone
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