The AIF Project

Charles George GORDON

Date of birth7 November 1869
Place of birthKingstown, Ireland
SchoolRothes Public School, England
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationGrazer
AddressInverell, New South Wales
Marital statusMarried
Age at embarkation45
Height6' 3"
Weight210 lbs
Next of kinWife, Mrs Janet M E Gordon, Inverell, New South Wales
Previous military serviceServed for 8 years in the New South Wales Militia (New England Light Horse).
Enlistment date27 May 1914
Place of enlistmentSydney, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentCaptain
Unit name2nd Battalion, B Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/19/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A23 Suffolk on 18 October 1914
Rank from Nominal RollMajor
Unit from Nominal Roll2nd Battalion
FateKilled in Action 25 April 1915
Date of death25 April 1915
Age at death from cemetery records45
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsThe Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 16 ), Gallipoli, Turkey

The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey.

The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank.

The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
32
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Commemorated in St John's Anglican Cathedral, Parramatta, New South Wales. Photo: Peter Dennis. Parents: Robert and Annie GORDON; husband of J.M.E. GORDON. Native of Kingstown, Ireland
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 5 April 1915.

Killed in action, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915.

Obituary states, 'Major C. G. Gordon was a company commander in the 2nd Bn. He was formerly an area officer in New South Wales.He had seen active service previously, having fought in the Matabele war and in South Africa. He possessed the Queen's medal, with five clasps. He was a popular officer, and was noted for his particularly fine physique. Before the war he was attached to the 5th (New England) Light Horse. He was the son of a British Naval officer, and was educated at Cheltenham and Edinburgh. He leaves a widow and one child.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, GORDON Charles George

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