GUNDERSON, Howard
| Service Number: | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 January 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 4th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Stockton, New South Wales, Australia, 22 November 1887 |
| Home Town: | Stockton, Newcastle, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Stockton Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Locomotive Fireman |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 13 April 1918, aged 30 years |
| Cemetery: |
Ebblinghem Military Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hamilton Loco Employees Great War Honour Roll, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, St Paul's Church Stockton HR, Stockton Soldiers Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Jan 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1952, 4th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 1952, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 13 Apr 1915: | Embarked Private, 1952, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kyarra, Sydney | |
| 15 Jan 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 4th Infantry Battalion, Promoted in France. | |
| 13 Apr 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 1952, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1952 awm_unit: 4th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-04-13 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Howard GUNDERSON was born on 22 November 1887 at Stockton, Newcastle, NSW. He went to Stockton Public School.
He joined the NSWGR&T on 14 March 1912 as a cleaner in the Locomotive Branch at Murrurundi. On 2 February 1913 he was promoted to fireman, also at Murrurundi, but on 3 March 1914 he was transferred to Hamilton, as a fireman. On 15 January 1915 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Howard joined the AIF on 19 January 1915 with the rank of Private (Service Number 1952), and he was posted to the 5th Reinforcements to the 4th Infantry Battalion.
On 13 April 1918 he was wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound which fractured his thigh and a scalp wound. He died of his wounds at the 15th Casualty Clearing Station the same day. Depositions in his Red Cross Enquiry file give more information about events.
The Chaplain at the 15th Casualty Clearing Station reported:
‘He was admitted to this C.C.S. on 13-4-18 very severely wounded, and in bad condition – shell wounds in head, right shoulder and thigh (fracture). Owing to collapsed condition no operation was possible. Gunderson never rallied at all, and he died the same day. He was buried in our cemetery, and a cross has been placed on his grave.’
Private H.J. Thompson (6338) reported:
‘We got to Strazeele from Amiens early one morning and were put in a brewery but were shelled out of that and went into a paddock when we lost more men. Gunderson was wounded in the brewery. A shell struck the building and drove a piece of wood into his thigh. I saw it sticking out as they carried him away.’
Sergeant A.A. Osmond (1609) stated, amongst other things:
‘… Gunderson was badly hit all over, especially on the legs and right side …’
Howard’s grave is in Ebblinghem Military Cemetery, Ebblinghem, Nord Pas de Calais, France. His place of association in Australia is Stockton, NSW.
Submitted 15 August 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Howard GUNDERSON was born on 22th November 1887 at Stockton, Newcastle, NSW. He went to Stockton Public School.
He joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways on 14th March 1912 as a cleaner in the Locomotive Branch at Murrurundi. On 2nd February 1913 he was promoted to fireman, also at Murrurundi, but on 3rd March 1914 he was transferred to Hamilton, as a fireman. On 15th January 1915 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Howard joined the AIF on 19th January 1915 with the rank of Private (Service Number 1952), and he was posted to the 5th Reinforcements to the 4th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his mother, Florence Louisa Gunderson, wo ws still living at Stockton, as his next of kin.
Howard embarked for Egypt from Australia on 13th April 1915 and from there he went to Gallipoli He joined the 4th Infantry Battalion on 17th June 1915.
On 30th July 1915 he reported sick with Influenza, the first of several lengthy periods of illness that punctuated his military service. In this case he was firstly evacuated to Mudros (on the Greek island of Lemnos), then to Malta and finally to England, where he was admitted to Brook War Hospital at Woolwich on 24th September 1915.
He was still in London on 4th January 1916 when he was given 48 hours detention for failing to obey an order. His pay was stopped for 20 days from 6th to 25th February 1916 because he had contracted venereal disease. On 2nd May 1916 he is recorded as being taken on strength of Monte Video, Weymouth from Abbey Wood, then on 13th July 1916 he was taken on strength of the 1st Training Battalion. From there he was posted to France on 31st July 1916, reaching the 1st Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples the following day.
On 8th August 1916, at Etaples, he was admitted to hospital with venereal disease and was off duty with this disease for 112 days. He re-joined his unit in the field on 4th December 1916. He spent five days, from 4th to 9th January 1917 in hospital sick. Nevertheless, on 15th January 1917 he was appointed Lance Corporal.
However, on 22nd January 1917 he was admitted to hospital with Influenza, again, which again required his evacuation to England where this time he was admitted to County of Middlesex Hospital on 16th February 1917. He had finally recovered sufficiently to be discharged to furlough on 12th April 1917 before reporting for duty at No. 3 Command Depot, Hurdcott on 30th April 1917.
On 16th May 1917 he was admitted to hospital for an unspecified period with diarrhoea and on 8th August 1917 he was admitted suffering from mumps. He did not return to duty at Hurdcott until 2nd September 1917. From there he was sent to the Overseas Training Brigade from 15th September 1917 to 20th October 1917. Then he returned to France.
Back in France, Howard spent three days at the 1st Australian Division Base Depot before setting out for his unit on 24th October 1917. However, it took about three weeks, until 14th November 1917, before he could actually reach the 4th Infantry Battalion in the field and re-join it. After just three and a half weeks on duty with his unit he was sent to Brigade Musketry School for three days from 9th December 1917. On 23rd December 1917 he was sent to this school again, this time returning to duty on 5th January 1918.
On 13th April 1918 he was wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound which fractured his thigh and a scalp wound. He died of his wounds at the 15th Casualty Clearing Station on the same day. Depositions in his Red Cross Enquiry file give more information about events.
The Chaplain at the 15th Casualty Clearing Station reported:
‘He was admitted to this C.C.S. on 13-4-18 very severely wounded, and in bad condition – shell wounds in head, right shoulder and thigh (fracture). Owing to collapsed condition no operation was possible. Gunderson never rallied at all, and he died the same day. He was buried in our cemetery, and a cross has been placed on his grave.’
Private H.J. Thompson (6338) reported:
‘We got to Strazeele from Amiens early one morning and were put in a brewery but were shelled out of that and went into a paddock when we lost more men. Gunderson was wounded in the brewery. A shell struck the building and drove a piece of wood into his thigh. I saw it sticking out as they carried him away.’
Sergeant A.A. Osmond (1609) stated, amongst other things:
‘… Gunderson was badly hit all over, especially on the legs and right side …’
Howard’s grave is in Ebblinghem Military Cemetery, Ebblinghem, Nord Pas de Calais, France. His place of association in Australia is Stockton, NSW.
After his death his widowed mother was granted a pension of £2 per fortnight with effect from 26th June 1918.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board