Doonan, George Gordon

6502 Private George Gordon Doonan MM - 2nd Field Ambulance

George Gordon Doonan was born in Fremantle WA on the 1893 to Thomas and Minne Doonan. He had three siblings, Ada (1892), Thomas (1895) and Harold (1898).

The family lived in Hamilton Street East Fremantle and George had been educated locally.

After leaving school George took up work as a clerk. He was also an active sportsman being a member of the Fremantle Rowing Club.

On the 13th September 1915 George enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment with the medical authorities recording his physical attributes as; 

Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 120lbs;

Chest Measurement - 32-34 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Black.

Upon his successful enlistment, George was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and was assigned to the Australian Army Medical Corps. On the 16th October 1915 he was transferred into the 12th Reinforcements to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital.

On the 23rd November 1915 George embarked from Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship RMS Mongolia.  The ship sailed for Egypt, arriving there in mid December 1915.

The 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital was currently on Lemnos Island and would soon be leaving back to Egypt as the decision had been made to evacuate the Gallipoli battlefield. The 2nd ASH arrived back in Egypt in January 1916 and George would have been taken on strength of this unit.

He was not with them long as on the 6th March 1916 George was taken on strength of the 2nd Field Ambulance and he would be a stretcher bearer for this unit. The 2nd Field Ambulance was attached to the 2nd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Australian Division. It had seen service on Gallipoli and though half of the Gallipoli men had been sent to form the 14th Field Ambulance, there still would have been enough experienced soldiers for George to learn from.

On the 23rd March 1916 the 2nd Field Ambulance departed from Egypt on a troopship and headed to France, arriving at Marseilles on the 30th March 1916. After being disembarked the men were then entrained north for the Armentieres region. They would have their first experience of the Western Front in this sector.

Shortly after arriving, George reported sick and was diagnosed with influenza. He was transferred from the 8th Casualty Clearing Section and from there was taken to the 26th General Hospital at Etaples. George had eight days here as a patient and when he was well enough, on the 17th April he was transferred to the 6th Convalescent Depot.

George spent several weeks at the Convalescent Depot as he did not rejoin the 2nd Field Ambulance until the 12th June 1916.

The 1st Australian Division soon moved to the Somme battlefield. In mid July 1916 the 2nd Field Ambulance were busy in preparation for their role in evacuating casualties. On the 23rd July 1916 the 1st Australian Division captured Pozieres but casualties were large and only increased when the Germans unleashed a deluge of shellfire onto the village and surrounding area.

George and his fellow stretcher bearers were kept very busy evacuating casualties. On the 24th July George was blown up by a shell suffering a shrapnel wound to the head and also shell shock.

His wounds were bound up by fellow stretcher bearers and was sent back for medical aid. After treatment at the Casualty Clearing Station George was put on an ambulance train and sent to the French town of Rouen where he was admitted to the 3rd General Hospital. He only had two days of treatment here and was then shipped to England, where he was then admitted to the 4th London General Hospital.

George would remain at this hospital until the 14th September 1916. He was then transferred to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Perham Downs. On the 13th October 1916 he was then transferred to the medical corps camp at Bovington Wool. George would remain in England for the next several months.

On the 4th March 1917 he was sent back over to France, he then had a few weeks in the base depot camp and rejoined the 2nd Field Ambulance on the 26th March 1917. When he rejoined them the 2nd Field Ambulance was situated around Boursies and Lagnicourt. For the next several weeks George would have been kept bust evacuating casualties from the actions around this sector including Bullecourt in May 1917.

After the Bullecourt action, the 1st Australian Division was given a three month rest out of the front line.

In September 1917 George and the 2nd Field Ambulance returned to the front line during the Third Battle of Ypres. He was helping evacuate casualties through the battle of Menin Road on September 20th 1917 and subsequent actions around Polygon Wood, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele. He came through these actions safely.

From November 1917 to March 1918 the 2nd Field Ambulance continued to operate in and around Ypres. In February 1918 George was given a two week furlough to the UK.

On the 21st March 1918 the Germans broke through the British line further south. The Australian Divisions were sent from the Belgian front down to the Somme to help stop this advance.  The 1st Australian Division were the last of the divisions to leave and had just reached Amiens by train when news came through that the Germans had broke through from where they had just come from, so the 1st Division was returned north and with the help of the British units were able to stop the Germans advance around Nieppe Forrest and Strazeele. George served in this area from April to July 1918.

In August 1918 the 1st Division joined the other Australian Divisions near Villers-Bretonneux. On August 8th 1918 a large advance commenced which pushed the Germans back. From August 8th to September 18th 1918 the 1st Australian Division was constantly in action and George was kept very busy evacuating casualties. During this period George would be decorated for his bravery with the Military Medal. The official recommendation reads,

On morning of 22nd August 1918, in front of Proyart, this bearer advanced with the infantry and at once began to assist wounded, dressing them under heavy M.G. and shell fire and directing his squad in evacuating them from the newly established R.A.P. Throughout the rest of the day his work continued under heavy shell fire, both H.E. and gas and hew as the inspiration of all whom came near him. The work done by his squad under his direction was of the greatest assistance to the R.M.O in clearing his R.A.P. He has always set a conspicuous example of coolness under fire and forgetfulness of personal danger in paying attention to the wounded.

George remained with his unit until the Armistice on 11th November 1918. He then had a leave period to the UK before returning to his unit in France. George remained in France till the 21st march 1918. He then returned to England and waited to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 1st June 1918 George boarded the transport ship Somali for the journey home, reaching Fremantle on the 8th July 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on the 30th August 1919.

In 1925 in Perth George married Marjorie Margaret Jordan and they would have a daughter called Pamela and son called Kevin. They lived in North Perth for a few years in the 1920's.

George became a clerk of the courts for the Crown Law Department and then worked in the country districts of Bruce Rock and Merriden.

George died on the 13th August 1947 aged 52. He was buried in Merriden Cemetery.