Keith Romney Gilleland (1914)

Born 25 Aug 1914 in Summer Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Esma Joan (Harvey) Gilleland — married 6 Mar 1946 in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Keith Romney Gilleland was born on 25th August 1914 in Summer Hill, New South Wales, Australia. He was the firstborn son of Arthur Gilleland and Laura Johns. ^[1]

Keith Gilleland is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 1942-1946
2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion

On 6th September 1942 Keith was commissioned into the Second Australian Imperial Force and allocated to the 2/1st Australian Infanty Battalion. The battalion was about to step onto the Kokoda Track with the rest of the 16th Brigade and its parent 6th Division. Keith later served in the Aitape-Wewak campaign on the north coast of New Guinea as a Lieutenant and platoon commander in D Company, and was demobilised following the war, on 1st March 1946. ^[2] Following the war he was awarded the campaign and service medals: 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.

Just five days after re-entering 'civilian life', on 6th March 1946, Keith married his sweetheart who had waited anxiously all those years for him, Emma (or Esma) Harvey, in North Sydney, New South Wales. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #28993/1914; registered at Ashfield
2. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: NX142063 (N185241) Lieutenant Keith Romney Gilleland; accessed 8 May 2021
3. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #5795/1946