Pte. Gerald Henry Levinge, 47th Battalion AIF

[helpjpl]

Remembered today: Private Gerald Henry Levinge, 'C' Company 47th Battalion (9th Reinforcement) AIF. DOW, aged 28, at Dernancourt on 5 April 1918.

Gerald, youngest son of Sir William Henry Levinge, 9th bart, and Emily Judith nee Sutton, was born on the Isle of Wight on 6 October 1889 and educated at Felsted School. He was 6ft 4½ins tall and was working as a grazier in Queensland when he enlisted on 26 October 1916. His unit sailed from Sydney on 24 January 1917 and was based at Codford Camp before arriving in France on 3 July 1917.

On 5 April 1918, Gerald was in a support trench with 'C' Company up the slope from the railway embankment at Dernancourt and directly in the path of the main German attack. The 47th's front line was virtually annihilated and the support lines overwhelmed. Gerald was posted MIA and family and friends asked the Red Cross to make enquiries about him. At the end of the war several comrades, taken POW on 5 April, gave statements to the Australian Red Cross Society:

'Of C Company. On the 5th April 1918 in support line 500 yards on left of Quarry, about 600 yards behind railway. Was hit in abdomen by M/G bullet. I saw him lying on the field, was conscious, but it was impossible to get him out, was in a very bad way. I gave him a drink of water. About ½ an hour later enemy occupied this trench and held the ground. I know his Mother, she lives in England.'

'He was a tall chap. I knew him well. He was a Reinforcement. I saw him shot by machine gun straight through the body about 9am. He was left lying in the trench when we were taken. I tried to put him under cover, but they were blowing in the trench and there were only about 5 of us left. I asked him could he move but he seemed to be paralysed. Was in pain.'

Gerald Henry Levinge's final resting place is unknown and he is commemorated on the Broad Blunsdon War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial and the Australian War Memorial. His name will be projected onto the exterior of the Hall of Memory at 2:01 am on 30 April and again in June, July, September, November 2015.

JP

[Rum Ration]

Lest We Forget.

[Fattyowls]

Not Forgotten

Pete. (belatedly).

[Moriaty]

Still remembered.

[Keith Iles]

Rest easy cobber, remembered

[helpjpl]

 

100 years ago today. RIP Gerald Henry Levinge   

'Was wounded at Dernancourt near Albert. Very badly in the spine on the 5th of April. He begged me to shoot him as he was suffering so much. There was no means of moving him and he was left and I don't know what became of him. Medium colour, 25 or 26, over 6ft. His people are in England, but I don't know where for certain, Isle of Wight I think.'

 

JP

[Fattyowls]

Still not forgotten.

 

 

[clarke]

Not forgotten, my great-grandfather 3888 James Wilkes, 47th Bn AIF became POW 5/04/18, a terrible day.