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GUNN, Alexander Donald, (1892-1956)

GUNN, Alexander Donald, (1892-1956)


Born on 13 May 1892 in Ballarat, the son of the Hon. John Alexander Gunn (1860-1910) (MLC, NSW) and his wife Jessie Maria nee Turner (1862-1925) of ‘Braehour’, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Alexander Donal Gunn was educated at Carlton College and then Geelong College as a boarder from 1908 to 1910, completing Form VI in his last year.

He spent over two years in the Geelong College Senior Cadets (the Geelong College Archives hold his official decommissioning note from the Cadet Corps). While at College, he rowed bow position in the Head-of-the-River crew of 1910. In June, 1909 he was listed as playing the violin in the Midwinter Concert. School reminiscences of his son, Jack Alexander Gunn (1921-) were published in the Magazine of the Former Students’ Association of Penleigh and Essendon Grammar which noted that Alexander Donald Gunn's name appeared on the Honour Board of the former Carlton College.

'Alec' then spent three years as 2nd Lieutenant with 16 Battery, Field Artillery at Wagga Wagga, up to November 1913. In 1914, he married Miss Helen Ramsay, daughter of William and Carol Maud Seaborn Ramsay. A daughter, Helen Ramsay Gunn, was born in Kew in 1915.
They were living at 'Bundalohn', Stud Road, Dandenong, when he sailed on 18 November 1915 in HMAT A18 Wiltshire with the 4th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Division, AIF, then transferred to the 22nd Brigade. He was promoted Captain on 23 June 1917, and at the end of the war was with 3rd Division Artillery. He was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig's Despatches, gazetted on 7 November 1917. He returned to Australia on HMT Warwickshire, embarking on 5 April 1919, and his appointment was terminated on 20 July 1919. He died on 3 November 1956’.

His brother, Angus William Gunn (1895-1926) was a student of the College from 1909 to 1914.

See also Archives Catalog for donated materials relating to the Gunn Family at Gunn Donation


Sources: James Affleck. Geelong Collegians at the Great War. p203 (citing: The Pegasus; National Archives; Altior et Sapientior, The Newsletter of the Penleigh and Essendon Grammar Former Students' Association No 21 April 2006.); Pegasus June 1907 p7; Pegasus Oct 1911 p19; Pegasus May 1916 p31; Pegasus October 1910 p9; Pegasus June 1957 p51; Donation of Gunn Family Material from Alistair Gunn.

Last edited 11 September, 2014.