The AIF Project

War service: Western Front

Embarked Sydney, 2 May 1916; disembarked Plymouth, England, 23 June 1916.

Proceeded overseas to France, 16 September 1916; taken on strength, 4th Bn, in the field, 2 October 1916.

Admitted to 2nd Australian Field Ambulance, 22 November 1916; transferred to Casualty Clearing Station, and then to New Zealand Stationary Hospital, 23 November 1916 (infection of larynx); to Ambulance Train No 26 and admitted to 8th General Hospital, Rouen, 26 November 1916 (laryngitis); to No 2 Convalescent Depot, Rouen, 1 December 1916; to Base Depot, Etaples, 5 December 1916; marched out to rejoin 4th Bn, 4 February 1917.

Found guilty, 2 February 1917, of (1) drunkenness; (2) using improper language to his superior Officer: awarded 21 days' Field Punishment No 1.

Rejoined 4th Bn, in the field, 8 February 1917.

Reported missing. 15 April 1917.

Statement, Red Cross File No 1130405, 811 Sergeant G.H. O'CONNOR, 4th Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 20 August 1917: 'I last saw ... [Gallagher] on the eve of the 15th day of April, on the right of Norieul, he was on outpost duty. We were attacked next morning at 3.30 a.m. and the out post was annihilated. His body was not found or any of the post.'

Second statement, 864 Pte L.J. OLSEN, 4th Bn, 21 August 1917: 'They [Gallagher and three unnamed others] were all on outpost duty on the 15th Apl. with an officer and eight other men. The Germans captured the post, and only one wounded man was found when they evacuated it. J.J. Gallsgher has a brother with the battalion and has written to say that he is prisoner of war. The other three men are prisoners too if alive. No bodies were found when we got back to the outpost.'

Subsequently reported Prisoner of War; interned Limburg, Germany.

Repatriated, and arrived Dover, England, 19 December 1918.

Commenced return to Australia on board HT 'Khyber', 31 March 1919; disembarked Sydney, 16 May 1919; discharged (medically unfit), Sydney, 1 July 1919.