The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (SX17507) Private Gilbert John Walker, 2/10th Battalion, AIF, Second World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Meredith Duncan, the story for this day was on (SX17507) Private Gilbert John Walker, 2/10th Battalion, AIF, Second World War.

SX17507 Private Gilbert John Walker, 2/10th Battalion, AIF
KIA 1 July 1945
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 10 July 2015

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Gilbert John Walker.

Born in 1921 in Port Lincoln, South Australia, Gilbert Walker worked as a barman in Adelaide before volunteering for the Australian Imperial Force in February 1942. After completing his initial training, he served in various units in South Australia and became engaged in mid-December to Gloria O’Malley from Adelaide. Less than a fortnight later, Walker was sent overseas to Papua with the 2nd reinforcements to the 10th Battalion.

Raised with men from South Australia, by 1943 the battalion was a veteran unit. In 1941 it had fought against the Germans and Italians in the Libyan Desert during the siege of Tobruk, and against the Japanese in Papua at Milne Bay and Sanananda in 1942.

The 2/10th Battalion returned to Australia in March 1943, and soon afterwards Walker was hospitalised with malaria. He returned to Papua with his battalion five months later, taking part in the gruelling campaign in the Finisterre Mountains in New Guinea in early 1944. At the start of January, however, Walker was again hospitalised with malaria and was evacuated to Australia in May. Although his health remained poor, this did not stop him from marrying Gloria later that year.

By 1945 fighting in the Pacific had moved beyond New Guinea, with Australian and Allied forces conducting a series of amphibious operations on Borneo. On 1 July the 2/10th Battalion played a leading role in the landing at Balikpapan, on Borneo’s north-east coast. After three days of fierce fighting the battalion had secured the feature named “Parramatta Ridge” but 17 men from the battalion were dead, including Walker. He and several others had been killed on the first day when their position was accidently bombed by Allied aircraft.

Gloria received the telegram informing her of her husband’s death in mid-July. Known as “Jack” to his parents and siblings, and “Johnnie” to his wife, Walker’s death touched many who knew him, and his family was soon overwhelmed with letters, cards, telegrams and expressions of sympathy. After six years of war such sentiments were by now all too common in Australian homes.

Nearly 40,000 Australians died during the Second World War. The Walker family placed “in memoriam” notices in their local newspaper, and these hint at the solace they tried to find in their loss. A notice from Gloria read: “Resting in a soldier’s grave, honoured with Australia’s brave”. Another, on behalf of his parents, brother, and two sisters, stated: “He gave his life to his country; His love was ours, courage was his own.” A notice from a sister commented: “What ever else I fail to do, I never fail to think of you – Always remembered.”

Private Gilbert Walker is buried in Labuan War Cemetery in north-west Borneo. His name is recorded on Adelaide’s Wall of Remembrance near the South Australian National War Memorial.

His name is also listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with around 40,000 others from the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Gilbert John Walker, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.

Dr Karl James
Historian, Military History Section

Sources:
National Archives of Australia, service record, Gilbert John Walker.

2/10th Battalion War Diary, 1 July 1945 and Appendix 1, battle casualties Balikpapan, AWM: AWM52 8/3/10/41.

Chronicle (Adelaide), 17 December 1942, 19 July 1945.

Port Lincoln Times, 26 and 27 July 1945.