Sergeant Gaston Gumprich

Ancestor Details

Ancestor's Name: Gaston Gumprich
Ancestor's date of birth: 01/06/1870
Ancestor's date of death: 02/06/1952
Cause of Death: Old Age
Service and Life Before the Boer War: Enlisted in the 20^th Hussars at Aldershot on 28 September 1891, occupation given as watchmaker. Completed Army Certificates of Education 2^nd class 24 May 1894 and 1^st class 26 October 1904. Transferred to the Army Pay Corps 28 January 1895. Corporal 28 January 1896.
Service Number: 558
Colony or State of enlistment: Not Australia, Place of Enlistment: Aldershot UK
Unit: Army Pay Corps
Rank attained in Boer War: SGT, Date Effective: 28/01/1901
Highest Rank attained (if served after war): WO2, Date Effective: 02/12/1905
Murray Page: Not applicable did not serve in an Australian unit.
Contingent: Not Applicable
Ship: Assaye or Avoca, Date of Sailing: 07/03/1902
Memorial details: Detail not provided.
Awards/Decorations/Commendations: Queen's South Africa Medal with Cape Colony and SA 1902. Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
Personal Characteristics: Detail not provided.
Reasons to go and fight: A regular soldier in the British Army-Soldiering was his life
Details of service in war: Served in South Africa from 11 March 1902 until 2 June 1903.
When the war began 111 all ranks of the Army Post Office Corps were deployed. At the end of the war there were 400 Army Post Office Corps soldiers deployed. During the war about 500,000 letters and newspapers and 12,000 parcels were delivered to the troops each week. £2 million of postal orders and £110,000 of stamps were sold. They also assisted in the handling of mails for the troops from Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand.
In October 1902 the last Army Post Office was closed, but it was not until February 1903 that the last detachment of the Army Post Office Corps left South Africa. After the Army Post Office Corps returned to Britain, its staff return to their peacetime duties with the GPO.
Service and life after the Boer War: Continued regular service in the British Army. Served in Gibraltar 26 August 1905 until 2 August 1909 the rest of his service being in the British Isles. Re engaged in the army 22 August 1902 in Dublin. Promoted S Sgt 2 December 1902 and SQMS (later Warrant Officer) 2 December 1905. 8 March 1912 permitted to continue beyond the 21 year service mark.(deferred pay at this point was 19 pounds 15 shillings) Home Service during World War One retired finally 27 April 1919 after 27 years and 215 days service.
Migrated to Western Australia and was there by the 1930s and became involved in the activities of the WA South African and Imperial Veterans Association finishing as the State Secretary at the time of his death.

Descendant Details

Name of Descendant: Terrence Gorton, Wilson WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Grandson
Name of Descendant: Brian Gorton, Wilson WA
Relationship to Ancestor: Grandson

Return to Descendant Database