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George, grew up, at Woohlpooer, north of Cavendish. He seems to have spent his life working on the land and joined up for 3 wars. We know he was a member of the Victorian Mounted Rifles in his early life. The first we know of him was when he was selected to go to The Boer War in 1902.

George Alexander Garton would have been aged 21 years old, so probably was the youngest.

Chosen for South Africa: In the Portland Guardian, dated 30 April, 1902 this article appeared -
Commonwealth Horse - At Ballarat on Saturday the riding and shooting test of men for the next contingent for South Africa were completed. The following 29 men were selected to form the 3rd troop D Squadron:- Among the 29 names is – G.A. Garton, Mooralla.

The Boer War: The next record we have of George Alexander Garton is when he joined up to go to the Boer War, in South Africa.

The Australian Commonwealth Horse (ACH) was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901. Over 4,400 men enlisted in the ACH in three contingents, with troops and squadrons raised in each state and combined to form battalions. Eight battalions were formed, with the first arriving in Durban in March 1902.
Too late for the war: George departed Australia with his unit, the 6th Battalion Australian Commonwealth Horse, 8th Victorian Contingent (an exclusively Victorian battalion) on the 19th May, 1902. They embarked at Melbourne on the transport Manchester Merchant (an earlier detachment had left in the Menelaus on the 16th May). They disembarked at Durban, Natal, 13th June, 1902. The 1st and 2nd battalions saw limited active service, conducting patrols against the Boers during the last great drives that ultimately ended the war. The war ended before the remaining battalions arrived to see action. The 5th, 6th , 7th and 8th battalions still remained at sea bound for South Africa, when the war ended on the 31st May, 1902.

Deaths on board: Within days of arrival, orders for immediate return to Australia were received. The 6th Battalion with 22 Officers and 467 men arrived in Durban, South Africa in June and left again one month later on the 10th July, 1902, on the transport Drayton Grange, so George would have had little time to see much, if anything, of South Africa. The Australian Commonwealth Horse suffered no fatal casualties in action during the war, but 28 men died from illness. When the troop ship the SS Drayton Grange arrived in Melbourne on 7th August, 1902 with 2,043 troops aboard, five men were already dead from measles and influenza, while another 12 died within weeks. Neglect and unsanitary living conditions aboard the vessel were found to be to blame for the deaths, following a Royal Commission into the matter.

11th Australian Light Horse: Over a year after George Alexander returned from The Boer War his name is mentioned again in the Portland Guardian dated 13 November, 1903. Under the heading – Military Appointments, it announced that Council had approved the appointment of the following officers serving in units under the old organization, (Sixth Australian Commonwealth Horse) to the new organization - 11th Australian Light Horse Regiment. It goes on to mention the different officers. Included among them is Lieutenant G. Garton.

On his enlistment, his rank was Sergeant and he joined the Infantry Brigade 7, 7th Field Ambulance, Section A unit. He with his unit, embarked from Brisbane on board HMAS Ascanus on May 24th , 1915.
Stretcher Bearer: He would have gone to Egypt first to train, then we know he did serve time on Gallipoli and after the evacuation was sent to France to join the fighting. During his time at Gallipoli and also in France, he was a stretcher bearer with the 7th Field Ambulance. Because of his job as a stretcher bearer he would have seen some of the worst of the horrors of war.

Married in London: The next record we have of George is when he married in London. Family legend has it that he married a French girl but returned to Australia alone after the war and did not talk of his marriage. He returned to Australia on 19th June, 1919.
An English girl: He did marry, but to an English girl, not a French girl. The soldiers fighting on the Western Front in WW1 were sometimes given short leave passes which they spent in French villages. George may have met a French girl on one of his leaves which his brothers knew about. When they heard he had married, they may have presumed it was to a French girl.

Extract of his marriage and it states that:
George Alexander Garton married Edith Maud Thomas:

There is a death of a William Thomas on the 11th December, 1914 which is most likely the husband of Edith Thomas.  He was born in Middlesex and was a rifleman in the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own).  Killed in action in Flanders, France in 1914.
Soldier Settlement Block:  Whorouly Estate;  A newspaper cutting from The Argus, Friday 3rd October, 1919 tells of a board sitting at Wangaratta to allot soldier settlement blocks to return soldiers on Whorouly Estate near Mytleford, Victoria.  Among the successful applicants was – G.A. Garton, Cavendish.  He was allotted 413 acres,  £1,652.
 
Birth of a daughter:  Another record found was the birth of a Beatrice D. Herzenstein, born in 1924.  Mother’s maiden name – Clark.  Other records confirm that this was a daughter born to Edith Maud Thomas while she was still married to George Alexander Garton.
Divorce:  George must have had some contact with Edith or known her address, as he petitioned for a divorce in 1925.  It was while he was living at Mytleford that he obtained his divorce from Edith.
It reads -   Tuesday 17th February, 1925
DIVORCE COURT
Mr. Justice Weigall yesterday granted the following decrees nisi for divorce – George Alexander GARTON aged 43 years of Whorouly South, farmer against Edith Maud GARTON aged 32 years on the grounds of desertion.
Another reference to George's divorce at this time is in the Geelong Advertiser.  It reads:-
Geelong Advertiser,  Tuesday 17th February, 1925.
SOLDIER'S LONDON BRIDE 
''KEEPING HOUSE FOR A GENTLEMAN''   Melbourne February 16th 1925. 
George Alexander Garton, 43, soldier settler of Whorouly, was to-day granted a dissolution of his marriage with Edith Maud Garton, 32, of London to whom he was married after a few days' acquaintance whilst he was on leave in London as a warrant officer in the 7th Field Ambulance of the A.I.F. in France.
Garton told Mr. Justice Weigall in the Third Civil Court today that the marriage took place early in 1917 (30th April, 1917).  Prior to enlisting he was a farmer at Mooralla, and respondent was a widow without children.  They stayed at a hotel on the night of the marriage, and next day he returned to France.  They corresponded whilst he was away, and on his return to London in March 1918, he found her ill in bed.  At her request he went to Scotland for a few days, but on his return he was informed that a certain happening had occurred to her.  He accused her of unfaithfulness, and threatened to stop her pay, but she pleaded for forgiveness.
He again returned to France, and from subsequent correspondence it was apparent that she was moving from place to place.  On arriving in London again he found his wife living at a well- furnished flat.  She would not allow him in, and seemed surprised to see him.  She explained that she was keeping house for a gentleman.  However, she agreed to accompany him to Torquay for a weeks' holiday and he gave her £5.  As soon as they reached that place she asked for more money, and because he had only sufficient to pay for the holiday she abused him and told him she hated him and returned to London next day.
 
He had not seen her since.  In giving his decision His Honour commented strongly on an error which had been contained in an affidavit as to the exact date of the marriage.  He did not say whom he thought responsible, but he pointed out that the marriage took place about six weeks after the date mentioned in the affidavit.  This might have an important bearing on petitioner's ''allegation of adultery''.  The ground of adultery had not been pressed by counsel, who relied on desertion only.  He accepted the evidence of the petitioner (G.A. Garton).
The marriage was ill-advised, and when she found she could not get sufficient money out of him to make it worth her while acting as his wife she let him know it.  He was favourably impressed by petitioner and the fact that the respondent ( Edith Garton) did not proceed against him when he stopped her allotment showed that she did not consider she had a sustainable claim against him.  A decree nisi would be granted.
George Garton would have had to travel from his farm at Whorouly to Melbourne and attend court, to get his divorce.  It seems odd that he did not tell any of his family about this and have their support.  Maybe it was just too painful for him and he preferred not to talk of it.


Edith's 1st Marriage: There are records to show that Edith had been married before to a William Thomas. They were married on the 3rd August, 1913 at All Saints Church, South Acton, London. They were both aged 22. He a bachelor and she a spinster.
There is a death of a William Thomas on the 11th December, 1914 which is most likely the husband of Edith Thomas. He was born in Middlesex and was a rifleman in the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own). Killed in action in Flanders, France in 1914.
Soldier Settlement Block: Whorouly Estate; A newspaper cutting from The Argus, Friday 3rd October, 1919 tells of a board sitting at Wangaratta to allot soldier settlement blocks to return soldiers on Whorouly Estate near Mytleford, Victoria. Among the successful applicants was – G.A. Garton, Cavendish. He was allotted 413 acres, £1,652.

Birth of a daughter: Another record found was the birth of a Beatrice D. Herzenstein, born in 1924. Mother’s maiden name – Clark. Other records confirm that this was a daughter born to Edith Maud Thomas while she was still married to George Alexander Garton.
Divorce: George must have had some contact with Edith or known her address, as he petitioned for a divorce in 1925. It was while he was living on his block at Mytleford that he obtained his divorce from Edith.
It reads - Tuesday 17th February, 1925
DIVORCE COURT
Mr. Justice Weigall yesterday granted the following decrees nisi for divorce – George Alexander GARTON aged 43 years of Whorouly South, farmer against Edith Maud GARTON aged 32 years on the grounds of desertion.
Another reference to George's divorce at this time is in the Geelong Advertiser. It reads:-
Geelong Advertiser, Tuesday 17th February, 1925.
SOLDIER'S LONDON BRIDE
''KEEPING HOUSE FOR A GENTLEMAN'' Melbourne February 16th 1925.
George Alexander Garton, 43, soldier settler of Whorouly, was to-day granted a dissolution of his marriage with Edith Maud Garton, 32, of London to whom he was married after a few days' acquaintance whilst he was on leave in London as a warrant officer in the 7th Field Ambulance of the A.I.F. in France.
Garton told Mr. Justice Weigall in the Third Civil Court today that the marriage took place early in 1917 (30th April, 1917). Prior to enlisting he was a farmer at Mooralla, and respondent was a widow without children. They stayed at a hotel on the night of the marriage, and next day he returned to France. They corresponded whilst he was away, and on his return to London in March 1918, he found her ill in bed. At her request he went to Scotland for a few days, but on his return he was informed that a certain happening had occurred to her. He accused her of unfaithfulness, and threatened to stop her pay, but she pleaded for forgiveness.
He again returned to France, and from subsequent correspondence it was apparent that she was moving from place to place. On arriving in London again he found his wife living at a well- furnished flat. She would not allow him in, and seemed surprised to see him. She explained that she was keeping house for a gentleman. However, she agreed to accompany him to Torquay for a weeks' holiday and he gave her £5. As soon as they reached that place she asked for more money, and because he had only sufficient to pay for the holiday she abused him and told him she hated him and returned to London next day.

He had not seen her since. In giving his decision His Honour commented strongly on an error which had been contained in an affidavit as to the exact date of the marriage. He did not say whom he thought responsible, but he pointed out that the marriage took place about six weeks after the date mentioned in the affidavit. This might have an important bearing on petitioner's ''allegation of adultery''. The ground of adultery had not been pressed by counsel, who relied on desertion only. He accepted the evidence of the petitioner (G.A. Garton).
The marriage was ill-advised, and when she found she could not get sufficient money out of him to make it worth her while acting as his wife she let him know it. He was favourably impressed by petitioner and the fact that the respondent ( Edith Garton) did not proceed against him when he stopped her allotment showed that she did not consider she had a sustainable claim against him. A decree nisi would be granted.
George Garton would have had to travel from his farm at Whorouly to Melbourne and attend court, to get his divorce. It seems odd that he did not tell any of his family about this and have their support. Maybe it was just too painful for him and he preferred not to talk of it.

We know Edith went on to marry Nathan Herzenstein, the father of her daughter Beatrice.
Nathan Herzenstein’s parents were from Russia and Nathan was born in Russia in 1888.
The Marriage Register states -
Name: Nathan Herzenstein Spouse Name: Garton or Thomas
District: Wandsworth, Surrey, England Date of Registration: Jul. Aug. Sept. 1930

George farewelled: A newspaper article tells us of George leaving his soldier settlement block at Whorouly. The sentence reads - Saturday 22nd February, 1936. Mr. G.A. Garton was entertained by residents of Whorouly and given a wallet of notes before he left the district to live in Queensland.


He died at at the age on the 23rd March, 1959.

It is interesting to note that against the column for Marriage, Harry gave “Unknown”. The family knew there had been a marriage but must not have known any details.

Was George so hurt that he never talked to his family about his marriage? Maybe he was upset that he rushed into marriage with Edith after having known her for such a very short time then found she was not the woman he thought she was.
He gave desertion as his grounds for divorce but we now know she was unfaithful to him while he was away at the Front. She appears to have only been interested in what he could provide financially.
He may not have been in direct line of fire at the Front but being a stretcher bearer may have been worse as he would have seen some shocking sights, with so many of his fellow soldiers dead and maimed.


Source: The Garton Family History book