WW1 Acting Sergeant Gordon Milligan 2/1046

Gordon was born 4 June 1893 in Lemora, NSW, Australia to Caroline and Charles Edward Milligan and came to New Zealand in the 1890s with his 5 brothers and 3 sisters.

His father had a grocery business in Newmarket and lived at Mt Hobson. Gordon and his siblings attended Remuera School. In 1906 the father moved to Kaukapakapa to take up farming. At the time of attestation on 12th October 1914 Gordon was a farmhand with E W Alison, c/o P O Glenfield. [1] [2]

Gordon joined the N Z Field Artillery as a Gunner and embarked for the Dardanelles on 12 April 1915, arriving on 26th April 1915. He was appointed temporary bombardier in the 4th (Howitzer) Battery N Z F A 3rd Brigade at Anzac. Gordon remained at Gallipoli until the British evacuation of troops in December 1915 and then left for France on the Minneswaska on 5th April 1916. He continued to be promoted as part of the N Z Division A Company 3rd Brigade in France, to Corporal on 23 May and to Acting Sergeant on 10 August 1916. [3]

Gordon died of his wounds on 10 September 1916, at the start of the Battle for the Somme. He was 24 years old. Eighteen thousand members of the N Z division went into action at the Somme and nearly 6000 men were wounded and more than 2100 lost their lives. Gordon is buried at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L’abbe, Somme, France IV. C. 17. [4]

Gordon is remembered on the Remuera Primary School memorial gates and on the Kaipara Memorial RSA, 49 Commercial Road, Helensville. A memorial service was held for him at the Kaukapakapa Public Hall on Sunday 1st October 1916. [5]