| Lieutenant Alfred Edward Gaby
Lieutenant Alfred Edward Gaby
Unit: 28th Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd Division
Action: 8th August 1918, East of Villers-Bretonneux, France
Gaby, 26, was taking part in an assault to the east of Villers-Bretonneux when the Australians encountered strong resistance protecting a gap in the wire.
The citation says: ``Lieutenant Gaby found another gap in the wire, and, single handed, approached the strong point while machine-guns and rifles were still being fired from it.
"Running along the parapet, still alone, and at point blank range, he emptied his revolver into the garrison, drove the crews from their guns, and compelled the surrender of 50 of the enemy with four machine-guns. He then quickly reorganised his men, and led them on to his final objective, which he captured and consolidated.'' He was killed by sniper fire three days later as he walked along the Australian line encouraging his troops in an attack against heavy German forces.
Biography: Gaby was born into a family of Tasmanian farmers with a strong belief in serving their country in battle.
Born on 25 January 1892 at Springfield, Tasmania, he served for three years in the militia while working on his father's farm, following the lead of at least three of his six brothers who served in the Boer War.
He was rejected twice before finally being accepted into the AIF in January 1916. Because of his military service, he was rapidly promoted and had reached the rank of Lieutenant by September 1917.
He was gassed a month later and rejoined his battalion the following May. He is buried in Heath Cemetery, Harbonnieres.
__________________ Spidge,
------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html
"You were given the choice between war and dishonor.
You chose dishonor and you will have war."
(Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.)
What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site:
http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm |