Image

Heritage Guide to The Geelong College






Search the Guide
»


To find information in this Guide please select one of the green coloured options.

To Select a Page Group when displayed, right click and select 'Open'.


Copyright Conditions Apply.



GADD, Richard Burton (1892-1956)

GADD, Richard Burton (1892-1956)


Richard Burton Gadd known at College as 'Yabby' was enrolled as a boarder at Geelong College in 1904 and left at the end of 1910. His address at entry was Nagambie, Victoria.

R B Gadd (NCOs 1910).

R B Gadd (NCOs 1910).

In his earlier years at the College he was awarded the following prizes:
1905, 2nd, Geography, Junior College 3rd Form
1907, 1st, Gymnastics, 2nd Class

Later, he became a member of the 1st Football Team in 1910. He was a Lance-Corporal in the College Cadets in 1910 and rowed in the Senior Fours in the College Regatta. In 1909, he was second in the Fourth Class in Gymnastics and with J R Porter (1890-1969) distinguished himself in winning the Senior Manx Race at the annual Geelong College Sports. He won the Sloyd Prize in 1910 and was awarded 1st Place in the 5th Class in Gymnastics that year.

He was the son of Alfred Edward Gadd and Colonial Esther, nee Berry, of Nagambie, and born on 26 November 1892.

Shortly after his enlistment (No. 1677) as a private in the AlF at Wangaratta, and three days after the Landing at Gallipoli on 25 April, he married Myrtle Valentine Vincent, daughter of Reuben and Mary Vincent, of Wangaratta.

Pegasus in 1915 reported on its own popularity amongst the troops when A N McLennan (1889-1968) wrote on 22 October 1915: 'I have just finished reading the 'Pegasus'. Norman Birnie (1892-1920) had a copy which he passed on to Joe Slater (1888-1917). Joe handed it on to me and I to Dick Gadd. No doubt 'Yabby' will find some other Old Collegian who will be only too glad to see it' .

He embarked for Egypt on HMAT A64 Demosthenes on 16 July 1915, and proceeded to Gallipoli. On his return to Egypt he transferred from 22 Battalion (D Company) to 6th Machine Gun Company on 18 March 1916, then served in France, where he suffered the effects of a gas attack on 26 May 1918 . He took leave to England in mid-August 1918, and returned to Australia on HMT Trasos Montes, embarking on 8 April 1919.

His obituary in Pegasus was as follows: 'Richard Burton Gadd, was a pupil at the College from 1904 to 1910 and was a member of the XVIII in his final year. During the first World War he served abroad with the AIF and afterwards settled on the land, but in recent years had been living in Geelong.'

He died at Melbourne on 24 October 1956.


Sources: Geelong Collegians at the Great War compiled by James Affleck. p 195 (citing The Pegasus; National Archives): Pegasus October 1910 p6; Pegasus April 1911 p5; Pegasus December 1910 p38; Pegasus December 1915 p60; Pegasus December 1956 p54.
© The Geelong College. Unless otherwise attributed, The Geelong College asserts its creative and commercial rights over all images and text used in this publication. No images or text material may be copied, reproduced or published without the written authorisation of The College.