Lieutenant George Gilmour ALLARDYCE
D Company, 4th Battalion Australian Infantry

Date of birth: 4th July 1895
Date of death: 18th May 1918

Died of wounds aged 22
Buried Mount Jerome Cemetery in Dublin Grave Reference 16 C13587
George Gilmour Allardyce was born at 20 Lower Beechwood Avenue, Rathmines in Dublin on the 4th of July 1895 the eldest son of George, a tailor's cutter, and Janet (nee Swirles) Allardyce of Viewmount, Archiestown, later of Advie, 65 Grosvenor Road, Rathgar in Dublin.

He was educated at St Andrews College Dublin and, in October 1912, he entered Trinity College, Dublin at the age of 17 where he served for two years in the Officer Training Corps and where his tutor was Mr Tate. He did not graduate but instead emigrated to Australia.

He enlisted as a Private 993 in A Section, 4th Australian Field Ambulance at Melbourne in Australia on the 11th of November 1914 giving his occupation as a medical student. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall with brown hair and grey eyes; he gave his age as 21 years and four months. He embarked aboard the HMT Berrima at Melbourne on the 22nd of December 1914 bound for Egypt. On the 12th of April 1915 he embarked for Mudros from where he went to Gallipoli.

He was admitted into hospital at ANZAC on the 23rd of August 1915 and arrived at 52 Lowland Casualty Clearing Station at Mudros on the 24th suffering from influenza. He recovered, was put on light duties on the 12th of September and rejoined his unit at Mudros on the 18th of September. On the 21st of October he was re-admitted to hospital again, also with influenza and was released back to his unit on the 25th. On the 18th of December 1915 he disembarked from the HMAT Alania at Alexandria. On the 8th of March 1916, while based at Tel-el-Kebir, he went absent without leave for 24 hours and was docked a day's pay and was confined to barracks for 7 days. On the 22nd of April 1916 he transferred to B Section, 14th Australian Field Ambulance based at Ismalia. On the 29th of May 1916 he was admitted to hospital at Ferry Post and was discharged back to his unit on the 4th of June.

On the 20th of June 1916 he embarked at Alexandria on board the HMAT Caledonia landing at Marseilles on the 27th. They entrained for the north and went into billets at Theiennes near Hazebrouck on the 30th of June. He went on leave to England from the 3rd to the 18th of December 1916.

On the 17th of May 1917, while serving on the Somme, he was gassed and was evacuated, being admitted to 47 Casualty Clearing Station on the 21st of May and rejoining his unit on the 24th

On the 30th of May he transferred to the 4th Battalion Australian Infantry as Private 75859 and on the 22nd of July he was selected for officer training. On the 4th of September 1917 he was posted to No 2 Officers Cadet School at Cambridge for officer training where he reported on the 7th of September. On the 9th of October 1917 he was admitted to 1st Eastern General Hospital and was discharged back to the Depot on the 27th. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Australian Infantry on the 2nd of February 1918 and on the 13th he marched to join the 1st Training Battalion at Sutton Veny. On the 18th of February 1918 he joined No 3 School of Instruction at Candahar Barracks in Berkshire.

He embarked for service in France on the 29th of March 1918 landing at Boulogne and arrived in Havre on the 31st. He left there on the 2nd of April and joined his unit in the field on the 4th.
On the 13th of April 1918 he was wounded in the left side of his head by a high explosive shell casing, also suffering a superficial wound in the calf of his left leg. On the 15th he was admitted to the 14th General Hospital at Wimereaux and on the 17th he was evacuated to the UK on board the SS Brighton and was admitted to the 3rd Southern General Hospital at Oxford. During this period he was complaining of headaches and was "feeling weak" although his doctors rated his chance of survival as quite high. He died the following day at the Somerville section of the hospital.

He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 15th of May 1918.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at St Andrew's College and on the memorial at Trinity College, Dublin.

He was buried at 10am on the 22nd of May 1918 in a private funeral.
Archiestown

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