Private
George Shirley
George Shirley was born on the 11th of March 1888 in Coomera, Queensland, to Mr Thomas Shirley and Mrs Emma Shirley (nee Welch) as the fifth of their 10 children.
| Service Number: | 1727 |
| Place of Enlistment: | Brisbane, Australia |
| Age of Enlistment: | 27 Years, 7 Months |
| Date of Enlistment: | 25th October 1915 |
| Embarked: | 30th of April 1916 |
| Transport Ship: | SS Hawks Bay |
| Education: | Coomera Upper State School: 1900 |
| Medals: | British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Place of Death: | Wounded in Action, France, 3rd of September 1916 |
| Killed in Action, Battle of Dernancourt France 5th of April 1918 | |
| Resting Place: | Buried Durrington Cemetery Grave 193, Wiltshire, England |
| Unit: | 49th Australian Infantry Battalion AIF |
George Shirley was born on the 11th of March 1888 in Coomera, Queensland, to Mr Thomas Shirley and Mrs Emma Shirley (nee Welch) as the fifth of their 10 children. His older siblings were (from oldest to youngest) Joseph, Edward, Martha and William. His younger siblings were (from oldest to youngest) Eliza, Ellen, Emma, Archy and Charles. His younger brother Archy would also serve in the First World War. George attended Coomera Upper State School for one year in 1900. Prior to his enlistment in the 49th Battalion AIF on the 25th of October 1915 George worked as a labourer.
The 49th Battalion was raised in Egypt on 27 February 1916 as part of the "doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its recruits were Gallipoli veterans from the 9th Battalion and the other half fresh reinforcements from Australia. Reflecting the composition of the 9th, the 49th was predominantly composed of men from Queensland. The battalion became part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division.
George Shirley was Killed in Action on the 5th of April 1918 during the ferocious fighting over the Dernancourt- Millencourt Road, part of what would become known as the battle of Dernancourt. On the 5th of April 1918, the 49th and 45th Australian Infantry Battalions moved to support the Australian 47th Battalion who were under heavy attack from the Germans near the town of Dernancourt. The Australians counterattacked and carried the enemy position with a bayonet charge despite heavy machine gun fire -halting the attack afterwards due to casualties. The 5th of April marked the final day and ultimate failure of Operation Michael, the 1918 German Spring Offensive to end the war.
Family connection: in 1907, George Shriley’s younger sister Eliza married George Ness Wilson, the elder brother of Frank Ness Wilson, who is also on the Upper Coomera Cenotaph.
Defending Amiens: The AIF In The German Spring Offensives Of March And April 1918
Video Australian war Memorial
Medals & Awards
The War Medal is a campaign medal of the British Empire which was awarded to the officers and men of British and Imperial forces for their service in the First World War.
The Victory Medal was awarded to all those who served in the armed forces during the First World War. Civilians who worked with the armed services as well as those who served in military hospitals also received this medal.
The 49th Battalion Patch was created from the 9th Battalion, with the same double blue colours in its 'patch' as its parent but of the circle shape to signify a 4th Division unit
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