William Bernard GIBSON

Regimental number4947
Place of birthLondon England
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationFarmer
Address31 Rosnell Street, North Sydney, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation21
Height5' 3"
Weight124 lbs
Next of kinC A Gibson, 31 Rosnell Street, North Sydney, New South Wales
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date13 January 1916
Place of enlistmentLiverpool, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name2nd Battalion, 15th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/19/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A15 Star of England on 8 March 1916
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll54th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 20 July 1916
Age at death from cemetery records21
Place of burialAnzac Cemetery (Plot II, Row I, Grave No I), Sailly- Sur-La-Lys, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
159
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Charles and Norah GIBSON, 31 Rosalind Street, North Sydney, New South Wales
Family/military connectionsBrothers: 2421 Pte Edward GIBSON, 13th Bn, died of wounds, 13 April 1917; 1853 Private Walter George GIBSON, 1st Motor Transport Company, returned to Australia, 17 March 1919.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Joined 54th Bn, Ferry Post, 20 April 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 19 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Posted missing, 20 July 1916.

Previous report of missing, now, 28 July 1916, to be reported as 'Killed in Action, 20 July 1916'.

Buried at Sailly-sur-la-Lys Cemetery by Reverend W. M. Holliday, 20 July 1916.

Statement, Red Cross File No 1160214, 4942 Pte R.K. MEGARRITY, 57th Bn (patient, 5th Southern General Hospital, Portsmouth, England), 5 December 1916: 'Informant states that at Fromelles, France in our own line on July 19th Gibson was blown to pieces by a shell.' Eyewitness: No, told by Pte Moylin, A. Coy., 54th A.I.F., who saw it himself.

Second statement MEGARRITY, 8 May 1917: 'I saw Gibson killed in our front line trenches at Fleurbaix about 4 p.m. in the evening of 19th July, '16. He was killed by a shell and blown to pieces.'

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, GIBSON William Bernard
Red Cross file 1160214