NAME:  Glenister Burton AUSTIN               

SERVICE NO: 4654

YEAR OF BIRTH: 1897

PLACE OF BIRTH: Hamilton

DATE OF ENLISTMENT: 1 April 1916

PLACE OF ENLISTMENT: Broadmeadows

AGE AT ENLISTMENT: 18

UNIT: 4th Battalion (Late 23rd Battalion)

EMBARKED: 4 April 1916

TROOPSHIP: HMAT A14 Euripides

FATE: Returned to Australia-February 1920

Glenister Austin was the son of John William Austin and Janie McQueen of Pope Street, Hamilton, and was born in 1897 at Hamilton where John Austin worked as a carpenter. In September 1914, Glenister’s older brother William enlisted and on 27 October his uncle George McQueen also enlisted. It was only three months later, on 29 January 1915, when Glenister applied to enlist, aged eighteen and only five foot three inches. However, he was rejected. He returned on 1 April 1916 and was successful. He embarked with the 23rd Battalion, 12th Reinforcement on 4 April 1916.

Once in France during July 1916, Glenister transferred to the 14th Battalion B Company.  He was in hospital from 10 November 1916 until mid-July 1917 with a hernia and spent time in Guildford, England. While Glenister was in hospital, his uncle George McQueen was killed in France in March 1917.

Glenister returned to his battalion in Belgium in July 1917. On 8 February 1918, he was gassed at Wytschaete, Belgium, and taken to hospital by the 13th Field Ambulance. His discharge from hospital came a week later.

On 4 July 1918, he received a shrapnel wound to the thigh. Glenister was in hospital both in France and England for most of the next eight months, recovering from his wounds and then illness. His brother William was also in hospital in England and died in October 1918, leaving a widow. Glenister was discharged in March 1919. He then took on duties at the hospital.

On 29 September 1919, at a registry office in Paddington, London, Glenister married Ruth Riddell, daughter of a gamekeeper from Hampstead Garden. Glenister and Ruth left England on 20 December 1919 and arrived back in Melbourne on 6 February 1920. During their time at sea, Gertrude, widow of Glenister’s brother William, wrote to the Defence Department asking if there was any news of his whereabouts. Glenister was discharged on 2 May 1920.  

Glenister and Ruth settled in Yarraville and later Footscray. Glenister worked on the railways. He died in 1987.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Australian War Memorial-14th Australian Infantry Battalion

Australian War Memorial WW1 Embarkation Roll-Glenister Burton Austin

National Archives of Australia-WW1 Service Record-Glenister Burton Austin

Newspaper Articles from Trove-Glenister Burton Austin

The AIF Project-Glenister Burton Austin