An Australian Imperial Bushmen’s and later Great War Battle of Lone Pine participant and subsequent Fromelles casualty group awarded to Trooper E.C. Gittoes, 3rd New South Wales Imperial Bushmen’s Contingent later Private E.C. Gittoes, 7th and later 59th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. Born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Gittoes saw service during the Boer War as a Trooper with the 3rd Imperial Bushmen Contingent in the Transvaal. He would later rejoin for the Great War seeing service with the 7th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force at Gallipoli from 8th August 1915 including in the action at Lone Pine where four members of his battalion would win the Victoria Cross. After withdrawing from Gallipoli, he would travel to France with 59th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force and with that battalion’s first major action at Fromelles on 19th July 1916 he would be killed in action. Subsequently being remembered at VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles.
Group of 4: Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 2 Clasps: Transvaal, South Africa 1902; (147 TPR. E.C. GITTOES. IMP. BSHMN. CONTG.) 1914-1915 Star; (2213 PTE. E.C. GITTOES. 7 BN. A.I.F.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (2213 PTE. E.C. GITTOES. 7 BN. A.I.F.) Court-mounted for display.
Condition: court-mounted for display, Good Very Fine
Ernest Claude Gittoes was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales and would see service in South Africa during the Boer war as a Trooper (No. 147) with the 3rd Imperial Bushmen Contingent in operations in the Transvaal.
He would re-enlist on 19th May 1915, initially serving with the 59th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. He would then arrive at Gallipoli on 8th August 1915 and see service with the 7th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, this battalion would take part in the Battle of Lone Pine between 6-10th August, where four members would win the Victoria Cross. Corporal Alexander Stewart Burton, Corporal William Dunstan, Lieutenant William John Symons and Lieutenant Frederick Harold Tubb.
He would be tried by court-martial on 9th October 1915 for being absent without leave and was found guilty. In October he would also be admitted to hospital with jaundice, before subsequently returning to Egypt where he arrived in Alexandria on 7th January 1916 Transferring to the 59th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force on 26th February 1916, he would again be found guilty of being absent without leave on 14th March 1916.
Leaving Alexandria on 18th June 1916 he would arrive at Marseilles on 29th June 1916 and would quickly find himself serving during the Battle of the Somme where he was killed in action on 19th July 1916 whilst serving as a Private (No. 2213) with the 59th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force and is remembered at V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles. The 59th Battalion would take part in its first major action on the Western Front on the date of Gittoes’ death, the attack being a disaster. Attacking in the first wave the Battalion suffered heavy casualties at the hand of the German Machine Gunners and its advance faltered far short of its objective.