Chamberlain, Gordon Charles
3174 Warrant Officer II Gordon Charles Chamberlain MID - 4th Pioneer Battalion
Gordon Charles Chamberlain was born in February 1889 in Fremantle WA to Charles and Harriet Chamberlain. He was one of six siblings with, Harold 1884, Eunice 1886, Irwin John 1892, Glen 1894 and Effie 1898. The family lived in 42 Price Street South Fremantle. (later renumbered 2 Price Street).
Gordon was educated locally in Fremantle and after leaving school he took up employment as a Storeman. During this time Gordon also served in the 11th Australian Infantry regiment of the Citizens Military Forces for four and a half years, finishing up in 1912.
On the 23rd July 1915 Gordon enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 135lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Fair.
Upon his successful enlistment Gordon was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 10th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for a few months but they soon received their orders to depart. On the 13th October 1915, Gordon and his group were entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Themistocles.
The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there just over three weeks later. The men would have been expecting to have been sent on to Gallipoli to join the 16th Battalion. However there were plans in place to evacuate the Dardanelles so Gordon and his group were retained in the AIF reinforcement camp in Egypt.
The 16th Battalion returned from Gallipoli in January 1916 and Gordon was taken on strength on the 5th February 1916. He trained with them for a month but on the 3rd March 1916 he was transferred to a newly created unit called the 48th Battalion. He only served with this unit for two weeks as on the 16th March 1916 he was transferred to the 4th Pioneer Battalion. He trained with this new unit in Egypt for the next few months.
The Pioneer Battalions could be used as infantry but they were mainly used for engineering details such as digging communication trenches, dugouts, roads, strong points, railways and any other labouring or engineering duties as was seen fit. During this time in Egypt Gordon was appointed to the rank of Temporary Sergeant.
On the 4th June 1916 Gordon and his unit left Egypt aboard a transport ship and set sail for France, reaching Marseilles on the 11th June 1916. Upon arriving in France the men were entrained north for the Armentieres sector. They had a few weeks here getting experience of life on the Western Front.
At the end of July 1916 they were then transferred to the Somme battlefield. On the 25th July Gordon was sent to hospital ill and spent a month away from his unit, rejoining them on the 25th August 1916. He missed his units first stint at Pozieres but saw action around Mouquet Farm in late August and early September 1916.
Gordon came through unscathed and the unit was then transferred to Belgium where they spent several weeks. In November 1916 they then returned to the Somme battlefield and they would spent the 1916/17 French winter on this muddy freezing battlefield.
On the 14th March 1917 Gordon was sent to a school of instruction for a month. During the time he was away, the Germans had been withdrawing to their pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. In April 1917 the 4th Division were involved in operations at Bullecourt.
After their action at Bullecourt Gordon and the 4th Pioneer Battalion were sent to Belgium where they would taken part in the Messines offensive. They were in the Messines sector from June to August 1917.
On the 16th August 1917 Gordon was sent to school of instruction at Morbecque, returning on the 14th September 1917. On his return the unit was now near Ypres and would soon take part in the offensive taking place there. However on the 19th September Gordon fell ill with influenza and was away from his unit for nearly a month, returning on the 16th October 1917.
He had been chosen to attend an Officer School in England in October but due to falling ill he had been replaced by another Sergeant from his unit.
In November 1917 Gordon had a two week leave furlough to England.
In December 1917 the 4th Pioneers had a short stay near Peronne in France but returned north in January 1918. From January 1918 to March 1918 the 4th Pioneers were in the line just south of Ypres near Hollebeke. Gordon had now been appointed to Company Sergeant Major. In March 1918 he went on a weeks leave to Paris.
On 21st March 1918 when the Germans broke through the Third & Fifth British Armies, the Australian divisions were sent south to the Somme to repel the Germans. The German advance was stopped, with the 4th Pioneers seeing action at Dernancourt and Villers-Bretonneux.
On July 4th 1918 the Pioneers were involved in assisting the capture of the village of Hamel and subsequent days were spent in improving the defences of the newly captured area.
On the 6th July 1918 Gordon was sent to hospital ill with pneumonia. He then rejoined his unit on the 23rd July 1918.
Gordon served on the 4th Division front during the 8th August 1918 advance though Gordon came through unscathed. He remained with his unit for the next few weeks as they continued to advance. On the 6th September 1916 he was sent to the Royal Engineers School at Rouen. He stayed here for a month, rejoining the 4th Pioneers on the 5th October 1918.
The 4th Australian Division were currently on a rest period out of the front line and when the Armistice was declared on the 11th November 1918 they were in preparation to return to the front.
Once the Germans withdrew to their own borders, the Australian units were sent into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. On the 30th November 1918 Gordon went to Paris on leave.
Due to his good work with his unit during the war, Gordon was Mentioned in Despatches.
On the 10th February 1919 Gordon returned to England where he was sent to the AIF rest camp. He would now have to wait to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 12th April 1919 Gordon boarded the transport ship Commonwealth and set sail for home, arriving at Fremantle on the 30th May 1919.
Gordon was discharged from the AIF on the 27th July 1919.
Gordon Chamberlian thought to be front row right
After returning from the war Gordon moved north and became the Assistant Lighthouse keeper at Point Moore near Geraldton.
He then moved south in 1931 where he was a Lighthouse Keeper at Cape Leeuwin. Gordon continued this role through to 1938.
His father had died on the 27th July 1935 in Fremantle.
In 1939 Gordon returned to Fremantle and took up residence at 46 Lilly Street South Fremantle. He was now working in Fremantle as a warehouseman/storeman for the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service. He continued this role through World War Two.
Gordon's mother died in Fremantle on the 24th September 1948.
The same year he married Winifred Penglase in East Coolgardie. They then returned to Fremantle where they were residing at 195 High Street Fremantle
Gordon died on the 18th July 1951 aged 62. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery Plot Anglican MON A8 0293.