The AIF Project

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Joined Bn at Gallipoli, 7 August 1915.

Wounded in action, 9 August 1915 (gun shot wound, right eye), and admitted to 3rd Field Ambulance, and transferred to 1st Casualty Clearing Station; to Mudros, 9 August 1915; to England, 14 August 1915, and admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, 23 August 1915. Commenced return to Gallipoli from England, 5 November 1915; rejoined Bn at Gallipoli, 20 November 1915. Disembarked Alexandria, 28 December 1915 (general Gallipoli evacuation).

Found guilty, Tel el Kebir, 31 December 1916, of being absent from camp from 4.30 pm, 29 December, to 11 am, 31 December 1915: awarded 21 days' Field Punishment No 2, and forfeited 3 days' pay.

Transferred to 1st Brigade Machine Gun Company, 12 March 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 22 March 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 28 March 1916.

Wounded in action, 22 July 1916 (gun shot wound, face); admitted to 44th Casualty Clearing Station, 23 July 1916; transferred to Ambulance Train, 24 July 1916, and admitted same day to 23rd General Hospital, Etaples; transferred to 6th Convalescent Depot, Etaples, 3 August 1916; discharged to Base Depot, 5 August 1916; rejoined unit, in the field, 19 September 1916.

Joined No 4 Officer Cadet Bn, Oxford, 5 October 1916. Passed as qualified for commission, and appointed 2nd Lieutenant, 25 January 1917.

Proceeded overseas to France, 13 February 1917; taken on strength, 1st Machine Gun Company, 16 March 1917.

Wounded in action, 8 April 1917 (gun shot wound, left arm), and admitted to 3rd Field Ambulance; transferred to 56th Casualty Clearing Station, and thence by Ambulance Train No 16 to 8th General Hospital, Rouen, 10 April 1917; to England, 15 April 1917, and admitted to 2nd London General Hospital, 16 April 1917. Discharged from 3rd London General Hospital to Command Depot, Perham Downs, 23 August 1917.

Admitted to Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich, 3 October 1917 (old wound); discharged to Overseas Training Brigade, Longbridge Deverill, 14 November 1917; marched out to No 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny, 28 November 1917.

Medical Board, Tidworth, 10 December 1917, found him unfit for General Service; uncertain fit for Home Service.

Proceeded overseas to Italy, 22 January 1918 [eleswhere the file states 'proceeded overseas to Egypt'].

Marched into No 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny, 21 June 1918.

Tried by General Court Martial, Wilton Town Hall, 2 July 1918, on charge of being absent without leave in that he on 24 April 1918 failed to report to Lt Colonel S. Bruggy DSO at A. Headquarters London as it was his duty to do, and remained absent without leave until apprehended in London, 22 May 1918, by the Military Authorities. Pleaded Not Guilty. Found guilty, and sentenced to take rank and precedence in his Corps and in the AIF as if his appointment as Lieutenant bore the date 18 February 1918, and to be reprimanded, and forfeited 91 days' pay.

Tried by General Court Martial, Wilton, 10 December 1918. Charges: When on Active Service absenting himself without leave from 5 September until 10 September 1918. First charge: When on Active service behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming the character of an Officer and a gentleman, in that he, at Sutton Veny on or about the 18th September 1918, in exchange for cash gave Lloyds Bank Limited a cheque for the sum of £10.10.0 on the Bank of New South Wales, 29 Threadneedle Street, London, well knowing that he had not sufficient funds in the hands of the said bank to meet the said cheque, and having no reasonable grounds for supposing that the said cheque would be honoured when presented. Second charge (alternative): When on Active Service conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, in that he, at Sutton Veny on or about the 18th September 1918, in exchange for cash gave Lloyds Bank Limited a cheque for the sum of £10.10.0 on the Bank of New South Wales, 29 Threadneedle Street, London, having no reasonable grounds for supposing that the said cheque would be honoured when presented. Third charge: When on Active Service, behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming the character of an Officer and a Gentleman, in that he, at Sutton Veny, on or about the 8th October 1918, gave Mr F.G. Batt in respect of motor car hire a cheque for £10.10.0 on the Bank of New South Wales, 29 Threadneedle Street, London, well knowing that he had not sufficient funds in the hands of the said Bank to meet the said cheque and having no reasonable grounds for supposing that the aforesaid cheque would be honoured when presented. Fourth charge (alternative): When on Active Service conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, in that he, at Sutton Veny on or about 8th October 1918, in respect of motor car hire gave Mr F.g. butt a cheque for the sum of £10.10.0 on the Bank of New South Wales, 29 Threadneedle Street, london, having no reasonable grounds for supposing that the aforesaid cheque would be honoured when presented.

The accused was found Not Guilty of the charge set out on the first sheet, and of the second and fourth charges set out in second charge sheet, but Guilty of the first and second charges set out in the second charge sheet.

Cashiered (dismissed the Service) by General Court Martial, 25 January 1919, and forfeited 138 days' pay.

Instructed to embark on HT 'Czarita', 16 March 1919; failed to do so. No further action was taken concerning his return to Australia.

Automatically forfeited war medals.

Gribble appealed, 2 October 1937, for the restoration of his medals, 'if only for my young child to cherish & to know that I ... had served my country in the Great War.' Base Records noted, 9 May 1938: 'Despite his previous good war record, it was evidently the considered opinion of the Standing Medals Board that no special grounds, or circumstances of an exceptional nature, existed to warrant the restoration of war medals in favour of Mr. Gribble under the powers delegated to the Military Board.'