GEARING, Harry Alan Cheshire
| Service Numbers: | Officer, Commissioned Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 March 1915, Colour-Serjeant Cadet Corps, Scotland (attached to 2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders). At present School of Instruction Enoggera – Lieutenant Senior Cadets. |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 17th Army Service Corps |
| Born: | India, 15 August 1884 |
| Home Town: | Hamilton, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Dollar Academy, Scotland. |
| Occupation: | Accountant |
| Died: | Diabetes (after discharge), Hampshire, England, 16 March 1917, aged 32 years |
| Cemetery: |
Portsmouth (Milton) Cemetery, Hampshire, England Grave I. 1. 40. |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, Officer, 7th Infantry Brigade Train, Colour-Serjeant Cadet Corps, Scotland (attached to 2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders). At present School of Instruction Enoggera – Lieutenant Senior Cadets. | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, Commissioned Officer, 7th Infantry Brigade Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 24 May 1915: | Embarked 7th Infantry Brigade Train, HMAT Ascanius, Brisbane | |
| 1 Jun 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 17th Army Service Corps |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Deaths Mar 1917 Gearing Harry A C 32 Portsmouth 2b 941.
Australian Army Service Corps
Born in India, the son of Henry George and Mary Ann (Grinnol) Gearing; husband of Bertha Gearing.[Bertha was born 2nd August 1885 in Queensland, Australia and died 11th September 1960 in Surat, Queensland and interred in Surat General Cemetery.]
Christened 25 November 1884 in Calcutta, Bengal, India.
Brother of Mary Helen Eliza Gearing (b. 1872), Lilian Isabella Maria Gearing (b. 1874), Eliza Jane Gearing (b. 1880), Harold Grinole Gearing (b. 1886), Lady Hope Gladys (Gearing) Masterman (b. 1890), and Dorothy Ewing Gearing (b. 1895).
Educated at Dollar Academy. He boarded with Mrs Gibson, Argyll House, and left in 1903.
A secretary and accountant before the Great War, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on 22 April 1915 and assigned to the 17th Company, Royal Australian Army Service Corps.
He went to Gallipoli with the Australian Expeditionary Force, and there contracted a serious illness.
In Cairo on 21 July 1915, he was diagnosed with diabetes, and in London in April 1916 he was discharged from the Australian Army on medical grounds. In November 1916 he wrote that he was in hospital and had been ill for seventeen months.
Commemorated at Dollar Academy
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 16th March…… Harry Alan Cheshire Gearing was born on 15th August, 1884 in India (baptised as Henry Allen Cheshire Gearing on 25th November, 1884 at Calcutta, Bengal, India).
The 1901 Scotland Census recorded Harry Gearing as a 16 year old Scholar who was a Boarder at Middle Walk Argylle House, Dollar, Clackmannanshire, Scotland which was a Scholastic Boarding House run by Jane Gibson.
He qualified in India Police Examination.
Harry Allen Cheshire Gearing married Bertha Mary Frances Morrison on 2nd September, 1911 in Queensland, Australia.
On 7th February, 1915 Harry Alan Cheshire Gearing applied for a Commission in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.). He was a 30 year old, married, Accountant from care of W. Norwood Brown, A.B.C. Bank, Brisbane, Queensland. His Military Qualifications were listed as: Colour-Serjeant Cadet Corps, Scotland (attached to 2nd Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders). At present School of Instruction Enoggera – Lieutenant Senior Cadets.
Harry Alan Cheshire Gearing was appointed Second Lieutenant 17th Company, Army Service Corps on 22nd April, 1915.
On 24th May, 1915 Second Lieutenant Harry Allan Cheshire Gearing embarked from Brisbane, Queensland on HMAT Ascanius (A11) with the 7th Infantry Brigade, 17th Company, Army Service Corps.
He was appointed Lieutenant on 1st June, 1915.
A Medical Board was convened on 21st July, 1915 at No. 1 Australian General Hospital, Heliopolis for the purpose of examining and reporting upon the state of health of Lieutenant Harry Gearing. The Board found that “Lieut. H. Gearing is suffering from Diabetes. Symptoms first developed on the transport S/S “Ascanius” en route from Australia 5 weeks ago. He now has glycosuria, unquenchable thirst and asthenia. He is 31 years old.” The Board concluded that Lieutenant Gearing was not fit for General Service & that his disability had been contracted in the Service but not caused by Military duty. The Medical Board recommended that Lieutenant Gearing be discharged as permanently unfit.
Lieutenant Harry Alan Cheshire Gearing was admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth on 7th August, 1915 with Diabetes Mellitus. He was discharged to furlough on 31st August, 1915.
Another Medical Board was convened on 21st August, 1915 at the 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth for the purpose of examining and reporting upon the state of health of 2nd Lieutenant H. A. C. Gearing. The Board concluded that 2nd Lieutenant Gearing was not fit for General Service & that his disability had been contracted in the Service but was caused by Military duty - Strain. The Medical Board found that 2nd Lieutenant Gearing was unfit for light duty at Home for 3 months.
He advised the Military Records Office that his address until 10th September, 1915 would be c/o Mrs Stewart, Culgruft, Crossmichael, Scotland.
Lieutenant H. A. C. Gearing advised Records Dept. at London on 23rd October, 1915 to forward all his letters to Calmaghie House, Castledouglas, Scotland.
On 30th October, 1915 Lieutenant H. A. C. Gearing advised that his address would be Laurieston Hall, Mossdale, Scotland until 2nd November, when he would “probably be returning to London”.
Another Medical Board was convened on 26th November, 1915 at 130 Horseferry Road by order of The Commandant, Australian Hospitals into the present state of health of Lieutenant H. A. C. Gearing. The Medical Board found that he was permanently unfit for General Service & permanently unfit for Service at Home.
Lieutenant Harry Alan Cheshire Gearing was admitted to 6th Australian Auxiliary Hospital, 1 Moreton Gardens, Westin on 2nd December, 1915 with Diabetes & was discharged on 19th January, 1916.
He was on leave from 19th January, 1916 & his address was listed as Torre Vene, Porthleven, Cornwall, England.
On 1st April, 1916 Lieutenant Harry Alan Cheshire Gearing was discharged /resigned from the Australian Imperial Force in England with the recommendation of the Medical Board due to being permanently unfit. His Certificate of Resignation was confirmed & dated 6th May, 1916.
A Pension was paid to Henry Allen Cheshire Gearing, Lieutenant 17th A.A.S.C., in the sum of £4 per fortnight commencing from 7th May, 1916 with a revision date of 8th November, 1916. His wife, Bertha Mary F. M. Gearing, was also paid a pension in the sum of £2 per fortnight with a revision date of 8th November, 1916.
A Pension was paid to Henry Allen Cheshire Gearing, Lieutenant 17th A.A.S.C., in the sum of £4 per fortnight commencing from 9th November, 1916 with a revision on 23rd May, 1917. His wife, Bertha Mary F. M. Gearing, was also paid a pension in the sum of £2 per fortnight.
Lieutenant Harry Alan Cheshire Gearing died on 16th March, 1917 from Diabetes (re The Australian War Memorial).
He was buried in Milton Cemetery, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England where 11 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/-milton.html
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