George Henry Norman Pringle
From Our Contribution
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | c1897 |
| Place of Birth | Gateshead, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England |
| Death | 15 May 1977 |
| Place of Death | Mosman Park, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 18 years, 4 months |
| Description |
5'4" (1.m) tall ; 119 lbs 53.977 kg ; fair complexion ; grey eyes ; dark hair |
| Occupation | Fitter |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Jarrahdale, via Mundijong, SW Railway, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr Henry Pringle |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 755 |
| Date of Enlistment | 15 Jan 1916 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit/Formation | 44th Battalion, D Company / 11th Brigade, 3rd Division |
| Date of Embarkation | 6 Jun 1916 ‒ 21 Jul 1916 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A29 Suevic |
| Date of Return | 3 Sep 1919 ‒ 17 Oct 1919 |
| Ship Returned On | HMAT A37 Barambah |
| Fate |
Wounded in Action 8 Sep 1918 Returned to Australia |
| Monument | Jarrahdale Honour Roll |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Pre War
War Service
Soon after entering camp, George was allocated to the 44th Battalion, then being raised in Perth. He proceeded with them to England where they spent several months preparing for combat in France. While at Larkhill, George was AWOL from midnight 30 Oct 1916 until 6:00am 1 Nov 1916 for which he was awarded 3 days Field Punishment No. 2, and forfeited 5 day's pay. Along with the rest of the battalion he proceeded overseas to France through Southampton on 25 Nov 1916.
On 7 Oct 1917 George was appointed Lance Corporal, and three weeks later he was promoted Temporary Corporal. The promotion to Corporal was confirmed on 15 Jan 1918. George was sent back to the 10th Training Battalion at Sutton Mandeville in England on 30 Jan 1918 and while there attended the 18th Rifle Course at the Australian School of Musketry at Tidworth from 21 Feb till 23 Mar 1918. He qualified as 1st class with a fair working knowledge of the Lewis Gun. Next he was sent to the 9th Training Battalion at Fovant as an instructor and then in April he attended the Bombing school at Fovant, followed by the 61st Course of Instruction at the Southern Command Bombing School at Lyndhurst. With the course finishing 27 Apr 1918 he had qualified 1st class.
On 2 Aug 1918 George proceeded overseas to France via Folkestone, and on 8 Aug 1918 he had rejoined the 44th Battalion, although probably not in time to participate in their role on the south bank of the Somme River in day 1 of the Battle of Amiens. Ten days later he was promoted Temporary Sergeant near Chipilly as the Battalion was taking several days out of the line to rest. In the early morning of 8 Sep 1918 the 44th Battalion was relieved from the vanguard of the advance up the Somme valley, and moved into reserve positions. There is nothing in George's records to indicate how he received his wound which was a gun shot wound to his right elbow. George's temporary rank of Sergeant reverted to Corporal when he was evacuated for medical treatment.
Treated by the 9th Field Ambulance and the 41st Casualty Clearing Station on 11 Sep 1918 he was admitted to the 5th General Hospital Rouen. From 13 Sep to 5 Oct 1918 he was in a Convalescent Depot before moving on to rejoin his battalion on 14 Oct 1918 via the Divisional Base Depot. On 20 Oct 1918 he was promoted Sergeant, and on 15 Feb 1919 he was granted a week's leave in Paris. A week later he was sent to England to participate in non military training. On his return to Australia he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 10 Dec 1919.
Post War
In 1934 George married Doris May Dear. Electoral Roll entries - 1925 - 1931 at 163 Hamersley road, engineer; 1936 - 1972 with Doris at 23 Salvardo street, Cottesloe, electrician (joined in 1972 by Neville Norman a clerk).
Notes