George Charles Unwin

Personal Information
Date of Birth	15 Jul 1898
Place of Birth	Bayswater, Western Australia
Death	12 Feb 1972
Place of Death	Boulder, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	19 years, 4 months
Description	5'6" (1.68m) tall; weight 129 lbs (58.5 kg); dark complexion, brown eyes, dark hair.
Occupation	Labourer
Religion	Church of England
Address	c/- Coulthard Bros, Cardup, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Charles Unwin
Military Information
Reg Number	52177
Date of Enlistment	6 Aug 1917 & 16 Nov 1917
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	WA General Service Reinforcements, allocated to 28th Battalion / 7th Brigade, 2nd Division
Date of Embarkation	8 May 1918 - 16 Jul 1918
Ship Embarked On	SS Port Darwin
Date of Return	3 Sep 1919 - 17 Oct 1919
Ship Returned On	HMAT A37 Barambah
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Beenup panel) Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Original enlistment 6 Aug 1917 was with the Australian Army Service Corps, but he was discharged 3 Sep 1917 as permanently unfit with irritable dilated heart.

Not to be denied, George re-enlisted on 16 Nov 1917 and was accepted due to the poor number of men volunteering at this time.

SS Port Darwin broke its journey at Suez from 7 Jun 1918 to 3 Jul 1918, and during the stop over, George was transferred to the Australian camp in Suez, from where he travelled by train to Alexandria.

On arrival in England he was sent to the 5th Training Battalion in Fovant, where on 16 Jul 1918 he was allocated to the 28th Battalion.

George proceeded to France from Dover on 4 Oct 1918, and was taken on strength by the 28th Battalion on 10 Oct 1918 at Bertincourt south east of Bapaume. The battalion had been released from the front line shortly before and did not re-enter it before the Armistice.

At the time of the Armistice the battalion was resting and rebuilding in the small village of Berteaucourt, north-west of Amiens. Soon after the Armistice the 28th Battalion and the rest of the Australian 7th Brigade is initially earmarked as part of the British 4th Army to relocate to Coblenz as part of the Army of Occupation. They began their move on 23 Nov 1918, travelling through Amiens and Peronne by train, and then marched via stops at Busigny, Ribeauville, Grand Fayt, Beaufort, and Cousolre into Belgium. At this point it was decided that the Australian troops would not proceed into Germany, but wait in Belgium for their return to Australia, with the 28th Battalion basing itself in Marcinelle, some 2 miles from the large industrial city of Charleroi.

On 3 May 1919 George sought treatment at the 3rd Division Field Ambulance before being sent via 56th Casualty Clearing Station to the 56th General Hospital, and was then transferred to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital in Bulford, England for treatment for VD.

Discharged the second time at 5th Military District on 14 Nov 1919.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1922 - 1925 Byford, brickmaker; 1936 with mother Rachel at Lalor road, Kenwick, labourer; 1937 at GM Edjudina (near Mount Magnet), labourer; 1943 - 1958 at 33 Johnston street, Hannans, watchman; 1963 - 1968 at 22 Forrest street, Boulder, retired. Never married??

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial