Soldier profiles

Name : GUNNING, GILBERT WILLIAM
Service Number : VX45832
Date of Birth : 02/04/1915
Place of Birth : MERINO, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : UNEMPLOYED
Date of Enlistment : 24/07/1940
Locality on Enlistment : MERINO, VIC
Place of Enlistment : CAULFIELD, VIC
Next of Kin : GUNNING, ALEX
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : LANCE CORPORAL
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) :
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 08/01/1946
Date Died : 12/12/2002
Age at Death : 87
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : N/A
K.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : NO
P.O.W. Camps (details) : KUCHING (SARAWAK, BORNEO)
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : KUCHING (SARAWAK, BORNEO)
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0036 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6137689 [DIGITISED]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial, AWM_116937.jpg, AWM_118416.jpg, AWM_118417.jpg, AWM_118421.jpg, Past article (size 314kB)

Background : Son of Alex Gunning. Repatriated 26/09/1945 on hospital ship Wanganella from Morotai via Balikpapan to Australia.

Service & personal summary At enlistment : single. No previous military experience. At discharge : height 5 feet 10 inches, blue eyes, fair complexion, fair hair. Marital status : single. Dependent children : none. Marks / scars : transverse scar palmar surface left little finger. Full time war service : A.I.F. 24/07/1940 to 08/01/1946 which included 1995 days active service (86 days within Australia & 1642 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East & Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 14/10/1945). War badge no. 156033. Discharge certificate no. 482560.

Service record
24/07/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Caulfield, Victoria.
20/09/1940 Transferred to 2/2 Pioneer Training Battalion Hamilton, Victoria from Recruit Reception Depot.
10/01/1941 Posted to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
10/01/1941 Marched out on pre embarkation leave.
21/01/1941 Posted from Pioneer Training Battalion to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
05/06/1941 Graded Group III Concretor.
18/06/1941 Evacuated to 1 Australian General Hospital with Sandfly fever and transferred to X list.
24/06/1941 Discharged 1 Australian General Hospital and transferred to Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
24/06/1941 Marched in.
11/09/1941 Marched out to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.
12/09/1941 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion.
28/09/1941 Relinquished Group III Concretor.
10/10/1941 Evacuated to 215 British Field Ambulance with tonsillitis.
12/10/1941 Evacuated from 215 British Field Ambulance to 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station.
15/10/1941 Discharged from 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station to unit.
15/10/1941 Rejoined unit from 2/3 Casualty Clearing Station.
01/12/1941 Evacuated to 2/1 Australian Field Ambulance with sprained left ankle and transferred to X list.
03/12/1941 Evacuated from 2/1 Australian Field Ambulance to 2/1 Australian Casualty Clearing Station.
06/12/1941 Evacuated from 2/1 Australian Casualty Clearing Station to 7 Australian General Hospital.
13/12/1941 Evacuated from 7 Australian General Hospital with sprained external lateral leg left ankle to 1 Australian Convalescent Depot.
12/01/1942 Discharged from 1 Australian Convalescent Depot and marched out to Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
12/01/1942 Marched in ex 1 Australian Convalescent Depot.
21/01/1942 Marched out to 2/2 Australian Pioneer Battalion.
21/01/1942 Taken on strength from Pioneer Training Battalion Australian Imperial Forces.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
01/10/1942 Previously reported missing in action now believed prisoner of war.
04/11/1943 Reported prisoner of war (interned Borneo camp).
12/09/1945 Recovered from Japanese at Kuching, Borneo.
12/09/1945 Marched in Prisoner Of War Reception Camp, Kuching.
12/09/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
13/09/1945 Marched out to 1 Australian Prisoner Of War and 1 Reception unit.
13/09/1945 Embarked Kuching, Borneo per 2/2 Australian hospital ship Wanganella.
19/09/1945 Disembarked Morotai.
19/09/1945 Marched in 1 Australian Prisoner Of War and 1 Reception unit.
19/09/1945 Evacuated to 2/9 Australian General Hospital with malnutrition.
26/09/1945 Evacuated 2/2 Australian hospital ship with malnutrition and ascaris for evacuation to Australia.
26/09/1945 Embarked Morotai for Australia per hospital ship Wanganella.
13/10/1945 Disembarked Sydney, New South Wales.
13/10/1945 Taken on holding strength New South Wales Lines of Communication area Recruit Reception & General Details Depot.
13/10/1945 Marched out to Victoria Lines of Communication area Recruit Reception & General Details Depot holding strength in absentia.
14/10/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with malnutrition.
17/10/1945 Discharged to General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria.
17/10/1945 Marched in.
27/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with fractured nose.
02/01/1946 Discharged to Pioneer Wing Watsonia, Victoria with malnutrition and nasal fracture.
02/01/1946 Marched in General Details Depot Watsonia, Victoria ex 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria.
08/01/1946 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
08/01/1946 Discharged.