The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (V5690) Captain Rothwell Alexander Gordon, 50th Garrison Company, First and Second World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (V5690) Captain Rothwell Alexander Gordon, 50th Garrison Company, First and Second World War.

V5960 Captain Rothwell Alexander Gordon, 50th Garrison Company
DOD 21 January 1947
Photograph: 028661

Story delivered 5 April 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Captain Rothwell Alexander Gordon, a veteran of two world wars.

Rothwell Gordon was the second son of Adam and Margaret Gordon of Essendon, Victoria. He was educated at the Essendon State School and went on to work as a salesman with William Detmold, a paper products company in Victoria. He was an active sportsman and well known around Essendon as a talented footballer, cricketer, and tennis player.

Gordon first enlisted in the army in March 1915 and was posted to the 23rd Battalion of the First Australian Imperial Force. He left Australia with the rank of corporal, bound for Egypt in May 1915, and after a period of training there was sent to Gallipoli. Near the island of Lemnos his troopship, HMT Southland, was torpedoed by a German submarine, and Gordon reportedly spent three hours in the water before being rescued.

Gordon served with distinction on Gallipoli, and was eventually awarded the Military Cross for his "conspicuous gallantry during operations, notably when securing bombs and ammunition which had been buried by shell-fire, and when reorganising his defences under trying conditions".
Following the evacuation from Gallipoli Gordon went back to Egypt, where the AIF was undergoing a period of training and reorganisation. He had been temporarily promoted to company sergeant major in November 1915, and was confirmed in this rank in April 1916.

Later in 1916, after undergoing a training course for officers, Rothwell Gordon qualified for a commission, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1917. In October 1917 at Polygon Wood he was buried by shell-fire and had to be dug out. Two of his mates were killed in the same blast. He was taken off the battlefield suffering gunshot wounds to his head and chest, and was eventually repatriated to Australia in March 1918.

Between the wars Rothwell established his own printing business, which failed to survive the Great Depression. He married Rose Evelyn Glide in 1927, and they had two children, Graham and Joan.

Rothwell volunteered for duty during the Second World War, enlisting on 8 September 1940 at the age of 50. He was posted to the 17th Garrison Battalion, which manned a facility housing civilian internees. After a period of service with the 13th Prisoner of War Group, looking after Germans and Italians taken prisoner in the fighting in the Middle East, Gordon was posted to the 50th Australian Garrison Company. He eventually became the commander of the camp, which housed 50 German officers who had been made prisoners of war.

Rothwell Gordon, after serving his country in two world wars, died at the Caulfield Repatriation Hospital on 20 January 1947. His death was deemed to be the result of his war service. He was 57 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with around 40,000 others from the Second World War. His photograph is today displayed beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Captain Rothwell Alexander Gordon, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.