Gilbert Holcomb, 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance

Gilbert Leonard Holcomb, a carpenter from Gatton enlisted on 21st November 1914, aged 28. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Bean and Major David Gifford Croll, and departed from Brisbane for Egypt on the transport ship Borda one month later.

Holcomb was detailed for “special duty” and trained as a medical orderly on the hospital ship Sicilia. On the morning of 25th April 1915, the Sicilia sailed with a convoy of 23 ships to lie just off AnzacCove, here they waited until the cover of evening to evacuate and treat wounded.

OM79-64/12

Gilbert Holcomb's legacy is his ‘Gallipoli diary. His entry for 26 April 1915 describes the conditions the day after the landing.

26 April 1915

“first lot of wounded - arrived at 12 oclock at - night, working till morning - 7am, more arrived … and all throughout - the day, some difficulty - in getting boats close up, - strong currents running”

They ferried wounded between the hospital bases on Lemnos, Malta and at Alexandria. His work on the hospital ship was physically and emotionally draining; conditions have been described as very inadequate, with little ventilation; wounded lying on floors, benches and tables; and a continuous stream of casualties adding to the already overcrowded situation.

The entry for 14 May 1915 reads - Steady fighting during day - heavy battle started at 6pm mostly artillery battleships … roar continuous all night – whole battlefield lit up by firing many Star Shells  . . . "

His comments reflect the major operations in May against the Turkish army with Australian forces reinforced by the Light Horse operating as Infantry. Losses were so heavy on both sides that a truce was called to bury the dead and retrieve the wounded from no-man’s land.

Holcomb’s entry for 28 June 1915:

That day Private Les Pountney of the 5th Light Horse Regiment was brought on board, badly wounded in action, with a bullet wound to the right shoulder and a fractured leg. He died as a result of his wounds, 10 days later. Holcomb wrote a letter to Pountney's parents which was published in The Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate, 11 September 1915. Holcomb contracted rheumatic fever in August 1915 and was invalided to King George’s Military Hospital, London & then the Royal Mineral Water Hospital, Bath. He was returned to Australia in May 1916 and resumed his carpentry profession in North Queensland where he lived for over 30 years.

Gilbert Holcomb's story was featured in the 2015 Distant Lines Exhibition, held here at the State Library and is included in the Anzac Square Memorial Galleries. His collection now digitised and transcribed and is available online from the Library's catalogue.

View: the Collection Guide

Read more:

• Service Record: B2455, HOLCOMB, Gilbert
• OM78-58/7 Gilbert Holcomb Papers
• OM79-64/12 Gilbert L Holcomb Diary
• ‘A soldiers end’. Port Macquarie News and Hastings River Advocate, 11 Sep 1915, page 4
• ‘Our Gatton letter’. Queensland Times (Ipswich) 9 May 1916, page 6
• The Commonwealth. Eighty-Third casualty list. Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser, 28 Sep 1915, page 5
• ‘A returned soldier welcomed’. Queensland Times (Ipswich), 9 May 1916, page 6