WW1 AUSTRALIAN VICTORY MEDAL 46TH BATTALION 3154 PTE GUNN A.I.F.

Description

Offered is a single medal to Private Gunn 4^th Battalion who served France 1917 -1918.

British Victory medal, impressed named 3154 PTE. W.J.GUNN. 46 BN.A.I.F. Note missing suspender ring. Comes with copies service records.

William John Gunn was born 1895 in St Arnott Victoria, occupation Mill Hand. Attempted to enlisted 22/10/1916 living at Holyoak via Pinjara, Western Australia. 2^nd attempt to enlist 23/11/1916 after being rejected 6 weeks before. 8^th Reinforcement to the 46^th Battalion AIF. Regimental number 3154.

Embarked Fremantle 29/12/1916 for England. 16/7/1917 France and to 46^th Battalion. 28/7/1918 To hospital sick. Returned to Australia 3/8/1919.

46^th Battalion

It was at Bullecourt, on 11 April 1917, that the battalion suffered its worst losses of the war. As part of the pursuit of the Germans once they had withdrawn to the Hindenburg Line, the attack was initially successful as the 46th managed to break through to its objective, but it was eventually pushed back as a result of its heavy casualties. The remainder of 1917 was spent in Belgium, where the 46th fought two more major actions at Messines and Passchendaele. In early 1918, it was transferred south to France where it played a defensive role during the German Spring Offensive, seeing action around Dernancourt in April. Later in the year, it took part in the final Allied offensive that began around Amiens in August 1918.