When he was a boy in Tasmania, Alfred Gaby (1892-1918) had seen his brothers go to the Boer War. He later served in the local militia before joining the AIF at the beginning of 1916. He was commissioned the following year.

The large-scale action in which he won his Victoria Cross was one of the most successful that Australians were ever engaged in. During the advance, in a lone attack, he got through the barbed-wire and drove the enemy off, capturing four machine-guns and 50 men. He then led the company on to its objective. Three days later, while walking along the line to encourage his men, he was killed by a sniper.