The Great War casualty pairs to the Gilling brothers, the first of whom Private E.H. Gilling, 1st/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment saw service in Mesopotamia from 18th March 1915 and having contracted malaria would later return to the UK for treatment. He would die in Netley Hospital on 2nd January 1916 subsequently being buried in Saffron Walden Town Cemetery. The youngest brother, Serjeant R. Gilling, Suffolk Yeomanry, later 15th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment and 26th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers would serve in Gallipoli being wounded there, and would later serve in France being killed in action on 15th September 1918 and being buried in ‘Y’ Farm Cemetery.
Great War casualty pair awarded to Private E.H. Gilling, 1st/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment who saw service in Mesopotamia from 18th March 1915 and would later contract Malaria, returning to the UK, where he died in Netley Hospital on 2nd January 1916, subsequently being buried in Saffron Walden Town Cemetery.
Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (2867 PTE. E.H. GILLING. HAMPS. R.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
Ernest Harold Gillling was the third son of Alderman John and Ellen Mary Gilling of Market Hill. His father, in addition to his council duties was a chemist and this enable Ernest and his younger brother Reginald to attend Saffron Walden Grammer School, where he became school-captain. On leaving school he went into business in Fleet in Hampshire where he was a teacher at the parish church Sunday School and a pre-war territorial.
With the onset of war Ernest enlisted immediately in the 1/4th Hampshire Regiment at Bustard Camp, Winchester. From England, on 9th October he was posted to India arriving after the long sea crossing on 11th November. He then went with the Expeditionary Force in March 1915 under General Townshend to the Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia, landing at Basra as part of the 30th Indian Brigade, 12th Indian Division. Here fighting the Turks, at some time during the assault on Kut and the advance along the Tigris in September 1915, Ernest contracted malarial fever.
He was transported back to Hospital at base in the Persian Gulf, then to India for a month, but as recovery was slow, he was shipped back to the Red Cross hospital at Netley in Hampshire where he died on 2nd January 191
On 6th January 1916 in the afternoon, he was buried in the Saffron Walden town cemetery, the inscription on the grave simply reads ‘In Netley Hospital after serving in India and the Persian Gulf.’
Additionally entitled to a 1914-1915 Star.
Great War final offensive casualty pair awarded to Serjeant R. Gilling Suffolk Yeomanry, later 15th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment and 26th Royal Welch Fusiliers who having earlier seen service at Gallipoli was wounded and would later serve in France where he would be killed in action on 15th September 1918 being buried in ‘Y’ Farm Military Cemetery.
Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (1811 SJT. R. GILLING. SUFF. YEO.)
Condition: Good Very Fine
Reginald Gilling was the youngest son of John, a chemist and Ellen Mary Gilling of 6 Market Hill. He attended Saffron Walden Grammar School before being articled to an auctioneers and valuers, Bond and Sons, at Ipswich. After this he worked for a Mr. Long a Saxmundham, and latterly on the estate of Mr. Kenneth Clarke of Sudbourne Hall.
On the outbreak of war, Reginald lived in Orford, immediately enlisting in the 1/1st Suffolk Yeomanry (No. 320163) at Woodbridge. In September 1915 as dismounted troops, the Yeomanry sailed from Liverpool in the ‘Olympic’ for Gallipoli, landing at Anzac Beach on September 25th. Here, Reginald was wounded and sent to hospital in Cairo, where he heard the news of his brother, Ernest’s death.
After recovery, Reginald became part of the 3rd Dismounted Brigade guarding the Suez Canal defences until July 1916 when his regiment was sent to France where the Yeomanry became the 15th Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment. In August 1918 he came home for his first leave after three and a half years active service. It was almost as if the fates were to give his family one last chance to see him. On his return he was transferred to the 26th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers who were in the vicinity of Lestrem. Here Reginald was killed in unknown circumstances on 15th September 1918. He is now buried in ‘Y’ Farm Military Cemetery, Bois Grenier.
Additionally entitled to a 1914-1915 Star.
