Stanley Gardner Gilmour was twenty-six and a half when he enlisted on 5 August, 1914. He already had considerable military service, having been in the Victorian Scottish Regiment, which he had joined in 1906 at the age of eighteen. He had served with them for four years, then had a further three years prior to the war in the 5th Battalion, presumably part-time, because at the time he joined up he was working as a traveller.
Stan Gilmour gave his address as 19 Clarence Street, East Malvern. On 24 August, 1914, he was called up and appointed as a Second Lieutenant, the rank he held in the CMF. He gave as his next of kin his father, Mr D.H. Gilmour, living as Lorne Rd., Caulfield East. He took slightly longer than others to get to the war, coming down with influenza on 1 October, 1914. However, he recovered and, on 21 October 1914, he embarked on HMAT Orvieto for service abroad. After a short stay in Albany, West Australia to join the rest of the fleet, the 5th disembarked at Alexandria,Egypt, where they completed their training. The 5th Battalion was in the second wave of landings at Anzac Cove and he was amongst the first to be wounded onthe beach, with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. Less than a month later, he rejoined his battalion on the Gallipoli Peninsula, was discharged to duty on 19 May, 1915 and rejoined the 5th Battalion at Gallipoli on 25 June.
He was very confident that he woud continue in his duty, publishing a message in The Argus of 3 May, 1915.
LIEUT S. G. Gilmour
The relatives of Lieutenant S. G. Gilmour
of South Melbourne whose name was
in the first list of wounded have received
the following cable message from him:--
"Healed; returning to the front."
His second wound was much more serious, a bayonet wound to his left eye, probably on 10 August at the battle of Lone Pine. He was removed from Gallipoli and sent on the HT Gascon to Malta, where he was treated in hosptial by the Blue Sisters at Sleine. On 28 August, he was transferred to to the SS Somali. Presumably, he was in hospita for some time afterwards, but the next entry in his record has him out of active service and placed on the Supernumerary List and at the Headquarters of the AIF in London. On 24 June, 1916, he embarked for Australia on HS Euripides for discharge from the AIF.
It must have taken him at least two months to return to Melbourne. Once there, he must have taken some tmie off, but on 29 November, 1916, he re-enlisted, returning to duty with the 24/5th Battalion Reinforcements at Royal Park. They embarked from Melbourne on 19 February, 1917, disemkarking at Devonport, England, on 25 April. Here, Stan Gardner was placed in command of No. 2 Platoon, A Company, 5th Battalion. On 14 May, he was sent form the camp at Tidworth to France and 22 May, he was restored to Establishment from being struck off. He rejoined the 5th Battalion in the field, somewhere on the Ypres salient, on 23 May and was made Captain, after the previous captain, Griffiths, had been killed in action. He stayed at the battlefront until 8 February, 1918, when he was sent to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station. No illness is recorded in his record, but he was detached for duty in London at the 1st Australia Division Headquarters, rejoining his battalion on 6 April.
On 21 June, Captain Stanley Gilmour was seconded for duty as Adjutant, 1st Division, then returned to his unity in in France on 15 August. He was to stay with the 5th Battalion into 1919. He returned to Australia on board the Persic and, says he record 'so struck off strength'. His appointment was terminated on 8 November, 1919.
Stanley Gladstone Gilmour died at Wagga Wagga NSW on June 28, 1950. Three notices were placed in The Argus of 1 July 1950. The first states
Gilmour: On June 28, at Wagga Wagga, Stanley Gladstone, loved son of David and Elizabeth, dearly loved brother of Ruby, Harry and Ernest. Late Captain 1st AIF
Print
Email