Glasson, George
2374 Private George Glasson - 11th Battalion AIF
George Gason (served under the name Glasson) was born in Geelong Victoria on the 1st July 1888 to George and Esther Gason. He was one of fourteen siblings in the family though his parents died in 1892 while George was just four years old. He was brought up by his older sister Harriet. She married Robert Moss in 1893 and they came to Western Australia in and settled in Fremantle and they brought George with them.
Prior to the Great War, George was working on the railways and was based at 130 Hubble Street East Fremantle, which was the house of his sister Harriet Moss.
In 1910 George joined the WA Government Railways, initially working as a carpenter, but then as a porter.
On the 1st of May 1915 George enlisted into the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 inches tall;
Weight - 140lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Light Brown.
After his successful enlistment, George was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 7th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. George didn't have long training with this group in WA as on the 25th June 1915, they embarked from Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship HMAT Karoola. The sea journey took about three weeks to Egypt as they disembarked on the 17th July 1915.
George did not have long in Egypt as on the 31st July 1915 he embarked for Gallipoli, arriving there on the 4th August 1915. He was posted to the 11th Battalion who were at Leane's Trench in the southern portion of the Anzac battlefield.
However George had a quick stay as the day after arriving he was sent to the beach hospital with eyes trouble and it was found he had conjunctivitis. He was thus evacuated back to hospital in Egypt, arriving back in Alexandria on the 11th August 1915.
George spent a few days at No.1 Australian General Hospital and on the 14th August was transferred to No.4 Auxiliary Hospital. On the 15th August he was sent to the Australian and New Zealand Convalescent Hospital. On the 22nd August 1915 George was released for duty but he wasn't returned to the 11th Battalion and instead was attached for duty to the AIF Garrison Headquarters. This temporary attachment lasted until the 23rd April 1916 when George was sent to the 3rd Training Battalion.
By this stage the 11th Battalion had already departed for France and so George was kept with the reinforcements. On the 9th May 1916 George departed Egypt for France, arriving at Marseilles.
From Marseilles, George was entrained north for the AIF reinforcement depot camp at Etaples. He remained there for over a month, eventually rejoining the 11th Battalion on the 23rd June 1916.
This time George lasted five days with the 11th Battalion, for on the 28th June he was evacuated to hospital ill. He was diagnosed with venereal disease and was sent to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers. He was away from the 11th Battalion through July and August 1916 when they were in action at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm.
George rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 16th September 1916 when they were in the line near Ypres in Belgium.
His third stay with the 11th Battalion was of a longer duration, and he remained with his unit from November 1916 to March 1917 when they were on the Somme battlefield.
By March 1917 the Germans had begun to withdraw to their pre-prepared defensive positions known as the Hindenburg Line, but they were conducting a fighting withdrawal and several sharp fights over French villages occurred before the Germans reached the Hindenburg Line in April 1917.
The 11th Battalion saw action at Le Barque in late February 1917 and Morchies in March 1917. In April 1917 the 11th Battalion were holding part of the front line in front of the French villages of Boursies and Lagnicourt. The line was spread every thin, with no trenches just outposts.
On the 15th April 1917 the Germans launched an attack on the Australian positions at Lagnicourt and were able to surround many of the outposts. The men fought on until they were out of ammunition and were then force to surrender. George was wounded by bullets in the left leg and hand during the battle and was captured by the Germans.
The Australians organised a counter attack and pushed the Germans back but by that stage George and many others had already been taken away behind German lines.
George was a prisoner of war and spent the next year and a half in Germany. He was mainly based at Dulmen during this time.
On the 5th December 1918 George was repatriated to England and after reporting to AIF HQ in London he was given a months leave and was supposed to report back to HQ on the 9th January 1919 however decided to take four more days of unofficial leave, only reporting back for duty on the 13th January 1919. George had to forfeit 8 days pay for his late arrival.
George only had a few more weeks in England as on the 7th February 1919 he boarded the transport ship Lancashire and sailed for Western Australia, disembarking at Fremantle on the 21st March 1919.
George was discharged from the AIF on the 13th May 1919.
On August 8th 1919 at the residence of CW Sheldrake in Forrest Street Fremantle, George married Mildred (Milly) Sheldrake in a ceremony conducted by the local Methodist Minister Rev. R.H. Mason. It was actually a double wedding as Mildred's sister Doris became married to a Charles Kelly.
George and Milly had a son called Raymond born in 1920 and another called Robert born in 1923 and a daughter Jessie in 1926. They lived at 179 Forrest Street East Fremantle. (now called 102 Forrest)
On returning from the Great War, George resumed his employment with the WA Government Railways. He retired in 1950.
On 31st March 1967 George wrote to the authorities to apply for his Gallipoli medallion. His address at this time was 102 Forrest Street Fremantle.
George Gason died on the 4th July 1971 aged 83. He was cremated and place into the family grave at Fremantle Cemetery plot Methodist Mon BB 0053.