REX, George James

  1. Service Details
  2. Personal Details
  3. Unit and Rank Details
  4. Notes
  5. Sources

Service Details

Branch of Service
Army
Conflict
World War I (1914-1918)
Date of Enlistment
03/09/1915
Date of Discharge
19/07/1919
Place of Enlistment
Victoria Barracks NSW

Personal Details

Gender
Male
Place of Birth
Clifton, Gloucestershire,England
Address (at enlistment)
Gow Street, Bankstown NSW (previously Duntroon ACT)
Occupation
Painter
Next of Kin
Caroline Rex (wife), Gow Street, Bankstown NSW

Unit and Rank Details

Service Number
6661
Final Rank
Private
Final Unit
8 Field Ambulance AIF

Notes

A George James Rex and his family are recorded as residing at Duntroon in 1913 during the census held on 31 December that year. At least one son (Reg) was born in England, in 1906 (see the WW2 nominal roll) so the family migrated to Australia sometime after that. As a painter, Rex would have been employed by the Department of Home Affairs probably working on sites around the Royal Military College. He was also the Royal Federal Branch delegate to the Grand United Order of Oddfellows district meeting at Goulburn in 1914.

Rex had previously served ten years with the Royal Army Medical Corps and so, when he enlisted in September 1915, he was allocated to the 8th Field Ambulance. He arrived in France (via Egypt) in June 1916 and as his unit was part of the 8th Brigade of the 5th Division, he was probably involved in the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916. During the next two years the 8th Brigade fought at Flers, Bapaume, Bullecourt, Polygon Wood, Villers-Bretonneux, Peronne and the Hindenburg Line. He returned to Australia in 1919 and died on 20 March 1944 at Canterbury Hospital in Sydney.

Description - height 5 feet 4 inches, weight 154 pounds, chest 33-36½ inches, fresh complexion, brown eyes, dark hair, Church of England.

Sources

National Archives (A206) Volume 9 [Federal Capital (Yass-Canberra district). Copies of correspondence, reports etc subsequent to passing of 'Seat of Government Surrender Act 1909 (NSW)' and 'Seat of Government Acceptance Act 1909 (Commonwealth)'] - folio 95, 1913 FCT Census
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
Queanbeyan Age - 20 February 1914
Sydney Morning Herald - 21 March 1944
WWII Nominal Roll http://www.ww2roll.gov.au

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