1240 Private Gervase Roland Kirton - 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital
Gervase Roland Kirton was born in Whitton Suffolk England on the 11th October 1880 to Richard and Mary Kirton, being one of eight siblings in the family.
The family moved to Western Australia in the mid 1880's and initially took up residence in Bunbury and which is where he was educated.
After leaving school he studied to be a chemist. He also had seen service with the 5th WA Mounted Infantry during the Boer War. He married on the 30th September 1907 in Coolgardie, and then moved to Fremantle where his daughter Roma was born in 1911, a son Lionel in 1912 and Gervase in 1913.
The family had been living in Preston Point Road before moving to 88 High Street Fremantle. Prior to the Great War they were living at 121 George Street East Fremantle.
On the 11th September 1914 Gervase enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 10 inches tall;
Weight - 160lbs;
Chest Measurement - 38-40 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Hazel;
Hair - Black.
After his successful enlistment, Gervase was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital of the Australian Army Medical Corps.
He trained in WA with his unit for the next several weeks until their departure orders arrived. They soon packed up camp and entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the HMAT Kyarra. This ship set sail on the 14th December 1914 and made their way to Egypt, arriving there in January 1915. After being disembarked the men were then sent to make camp at Mena near Cairo.
The 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital would serve in a variety of sectors in the Gallipoli campaign. After arriving at Lemnos Island the personnel were split up, with some serving with the British medical units at Cape Helles, while others were with the Anzacs. Some were based on the transport ships which took the wounded soldiers back to Egypt while others helped to set up the 2nd ASH on Lemnos Island.
Gervase served with his unit for the entire Gallipoli campaign and apart from the opening weeks of the campaign was mainly based on Lemnos Island. The 2nd ASH remained on Lemnos Island into January 1916 as while Anzac and Suvla had been evacuated, the British were still occupying Cape Helles. But they also soon withdrew and the personnel of the 2nd ASH left Lemnos Island.
With the majority of the Australian forces now being sent to France it was not apparent where the 2nd ASH would be sent but for the time being they would remain in Egypt tendering to wounded and sick Australian and British soldiers. However with family worries at home and his daughter Roma dying in 1915 and his brother Alec dying in the war; and health issues of his own, Gervase was allowed to return home in 1916.
On the 10th April 1916 Gervase left Suez Egypt aboard the transport ship Runic.He was assigned to the nursing staff for the voyage home. He reached Australia on the 14th May 1916 and was then discharged from the AIF on the 4th July 1916.
After his return home, the family resided at 666 Edmund St Beaconsfield.
Another daughter, daughter Lorna was born in Fremantle in 1918.
His Father Richard died in Fremantle in February 1937 and his mother died in February 1945 in Kelmscott.
Gervase moved to Queensland and died on the 21st July 1976 in Townsville Qld.
