Category Archives: Australian

A.C.H. Gibbs

A. C. H Gibbs
Second Lieutenant A.I.F.

 There is no known commemoration for this soldier.  His inclusion in the web site because his parents at the time of the 1st WW were living in the cemetery lodge.  Research into his life is on going.

Gibbs ACH photo

 Sec. Lieut. A.C.H. Gibbs  was a member of the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.)  He was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, of the Cemetery Lodge, London Rd. Reading.

The Standard of 24th November 1917 – carried the notification that he was a Prisoner of War having been previously reported as missing.  He had been a former clerk in the Reading County Court.  Lieutenant  Gibbs had emigrated to Australia, from Reading,  where he held the position of Clerk to Shire Council at Roma, Queensland.   He had enlisted in 1915 and obtained his commission in Australia.

Joseph Davis

Joseph Davis
Private 3154
49th Battalion Australian Imperial Force

Division 40

CIMG2198

Joseph Davis, is commemorated on a family memorial.  Grave number 8790.  He was killed in action at Dernancourt, a small village SW of Albert, Somme, on 5th April 1918.  The village was captured by the Germans for a time during the spring offensive to be reclaimed later in the year by the allies.   

Joseph Davis has no known grave.  His name is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.  This is the Australian National Monument erected to commemorate Australian soldiers who fought in France and Belgium, to their dead, and especially those of the dead who have no known graves.  These soldiers fell in the battlefields of the Somme, Arras and the “Hundred Days”.  There are over 10,000 casualties commemorated on this memorial. 

Caleb James Burton

Caleb James Burton
Corporal 2078
4th Australian Pioneers

 War Plot
Division 71 and 72

Caleb Burton has no headstone but his name is commemorated upon the screen wall.

screen wall

Caleb James Burton  had  born in Wigan, Lancashire. It has not been possible to find out about his life before he emigrated to Australia. However the archives of his military career are available. Caleb James Burton was aged 37 years 9 months when he enlisted in Brisbane on 2 February 1916. Both his parents were dead and his next of kin was given as a half-brother William Arnold Roberts of Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. On 1 May 1916 Caleb left Brisbane for Egypt aboard the S.S. “Clan Macgillivray”. He arrived in England on 21 August 1916 having travelled via Alexandria and Marseilles.

He travelled to Reading and was encamped at Coley Recreation Ground when he was taken ill little more than a month since his arrival.   The following is a transcript from the Reading Standard 14 October 1916. Caleb James Burton died on 3 October 1916.  

 “Rarely has so imposing a military funeral taken place in Reading as that on Saturday, when the body of Corporal Burton of the Australian Imperial Force, was  laid to rest in Reading Cemetery.

Previously in camp at the Australian Headquarters, Tadworth, Corporal Burton had been in the Pioneer School of Instruction, encamped in Coley Recreation Ground, only for about four weeks.  Here he was taken ill and died from bronchial pneumonia in Number 5 War Hospital on Tuesday, Oct. 3rd.  Three days after admission.  Later the body was conveyed to No. 1 Hospital, where  the first part of the service was held.

 The funeral was attended by the whole school of instruction, consisting of members of various regiments, numbering 40 officers and 206 non-commissioned officers and men in the following formation:- A firing party of Australians, a band of the Royal Berks. Depot, who played the funeral march en route, the Australian officers, the bearers composed of Australian units, the Scottish Highlanders, various units of Irish, Scotch and Welsh regiments.  The body was drawn on a gun carriage covered with the Union Jack, Lieut. Spencer of the 11th Dragoons, was in charge of the procession.

 The committal service at the graveside (at which the Commandant of the Pioneers was present) was conducted by the Rev. R.W. Morley, curate of St. John’s and three volleys being fired over the grave,  a bugler from The Royal Berks. Depot sounded “Last Post”.  Through the permission of the Commandant all field work was suspended for the day as a mark of respect to the dead soldiers  memory.”