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George Iley Dunn - Information

George belonged to a family that lived in Mt Hunter. George was born in Camden to George Lambert and Elizabeth Dunn c1893. He worked on the family farm, while serving in the 9th Light Horse in Camden. When the recruitment booths opened, George travelled to Rosebery Park in Sydney to enlist in the new AIF. He joined up on the 22nd of August in 1914, at the age of 20. Upon signing up, George was made a Trooper with the 1st Light Horse Regiment. George’s enlistment was announced in the local paper, to highlight the community’s support for the war effort. He was then shipped overseas, departing Sydney onboard the HMAT Star of Victoria on the 20th of October 1914.

By the end of the year, George and his unit were undergoing rigorous training exercises in Egypt. In 1915, at Gallipoli, the infantry were struggling in their advance from the beach. Light Horse Regiments were then mustered as reinforcements. George proceeded to the Peninsula on the 9th of May 1915. Attached to the infantry, they participated in the August Offensive, attacking a position known as the ‘Chessboard,’ resulting in many casualties. When the weather turned cold, George began feeling ill. In early December, he was admitted to No. 3 Australian General Hospital at Mudros, on Lemnos Island, with jaundice. A few weeks later, he was transported back to Egypt, landing in Alexandria on Boxing Day. The following month, George and his unit were deployed to defend the Suez Canal. However, George’s health was acting up. He reported to hospital in Romani at the end of June. The following month, he was admitted to the 31st General Hospital in Port Said with periostitis. Five days later, he was taken to the 3rd Australian General Hospital. Medically unfit for active service, he boarded the HMAT Ascanius in Suez, for his voyage home. He set off on the 2nd of September 1916. He was discharged from military service in mid November, and returned home to his family in Mt Hunter. It would have been a comfort for the Dunn family to get George back, as his brother, William, was still serving overseas.