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Wilson-G-P-Pte-1100

Page history last edited by Lenore Frost 5 years, 3 months ago

Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918 

 

 

See later photos for Sergt G P Wilson  Wilson-G-P-Going-Home

 

This and other photos on this page are courtesy of the Wilson family.

 

Pte George Paton Wilson, resplendent in jodhpurs and spurs, circa 1917.  He is

wearing the maroon triangular patch of the Australian Veterinary Hospital. 

This and other photos on this page are courtesy of the Wilson family.

 

Wilson G P         Pte    1100    George Paton            Vet Corps    18    Woolclasser    Single    Pres       

Address:    Essendon, Richardson St, 10   

Next of Kin:    Wilson, T F, father, 10 Richardson St, Essendon   

Enlisted:    8 Jan 1917       

Embarked:     A29 Suevic 21 Jun 1917

Prior service:  Four years senior cadets  

 

Relatives on Active Service:

Wilson-T-F-Pte-5931  brother

 

Private George Paton Wilson

 

by Lenore Frost

 

Private George Paton Wilson.

 

George Paton Wilson of Richardson Street, Essendon was working as a woolclasser when he enlisted on 8 January 1917.  He was aged 18½ at the time, and required a letter of permission from his parents for the recruiting authorities.

 

 

George's attestation paper showed that he had served four years in the senior cadets.  This photo from George's album (with himself marked with an x) shows him with the 58 Infantry Battalion (Essendon Rifles) presumably in the second half of 1916 after he had turned 18. The three officers in the centre and the soldier kneeling on the left are wearing 58 Inf Bn badges.

 

In theory recruits were not to be sent overseas until they had turned 19.  His B2455 was annotated at the top that he was not to be sent overseas until he had turned 19. It may have been this which influenced the six months he spent in training at the Army Veterinary Corps at Maribyrnong.

 

 

This photo may have been taken while George was in training at Maribyrnong.  Several

of them are wearing training clothes.  The haughty Sergeant-Major in the centre is

wearing leather gaiters used by those whose work was with horses.  George is

seated second from the right.  The fellow to his right appears in the next photo.

 

George Wilson standing in the centre.  His comrade from the training photo above is on the left.

 

He remained at Maribyrnong until 20 June 1917 and the following day embarked with other reinforcements for the 4th and 5th Mobile Veterinary Section.  They disembarked at Liverpool on 28 August 1917, and George was marched in to the Details Camp at Parkhouse on the same day.

 

George embarked for France on 28 November 1917, and was taken on strength of the Australian Veterinary Hospital at Calais.

 

A postcard of captured German cannons at Mett in Belgium.

 

 

Pontaury, Belgium, from George's Album. Sergeant Wilson appears to be

at the back on the left of the photo.

 

On 15 October 1918 He was taken on strength of the 3rd Army Brigade Australian Field Artillery where he was made a temporary Sergeant to bring the unit up to establishment.  The "Temporary" appointment meant that he had the rank and responsibilities of a sergeant, but not the pay.  It was not until 14 January 1919 that he was promoted to full Sergeant and had his pay appropriately adjusted.  His work in this period was probably associated with disposing of horses, as they would not be returned to Australia.

 

On 5 May 1919 he was marched out for return to England to wait for a passage to Australia.  

 

See photos from George's album of his return to Australia.

 

 

 

Sources:

B2455 Attestation Paper, National Archives of Australia.

Photos and information courtesy of the Wilson family.

 

War Service Commemorated

Essendon Town Hall R-Y

North Essendon Methodist Church

 

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