Returned ANZACs,
Territory ANZACs,
First World War, 1914-1918,
Place of birth
Darwin,
Place of enlistment
Brisbane (Qld.),
Date of enlistment
1915-11-22,
Age
22,
Occupation
Labourer and Diver,
Service
Australian Imperial Force,
Unit
26th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement,
Service number
4417 / Q54723,
Next of kin
Maria Garr - Sister ; Thursday Island, Qld.,
Date of death
1973-04-30,
Place of death
Queensland,
Cultural heritage
Filipino,
Honours and awards
Military Medal,
Biographical notes
Glamor Garr was the fifth child and third son of Carlos and Mary Anne Garr (nee Bunyan). Carlos was a Filipino pearl-shell diver who travelled to Thursday Island as a 16 year old and then spent the rest of his life working between Thursday Island and Port Darwin either pearl-shell diving or fishing for trepang. Glamor was born in Palmerston (Darwin) in December 1892 and was christened Guillermo Gah. As a boy he was known as ‘Glomo’ and he enlisted as ‘Glamor Garr’. He followed in his father’s footsteps as a pearl-shell diver and was incorrectly described as a ‘driver’ on his enlistment papers. The family lived on ‘Carlos Beach’ (Dinah Beach) near Frances Bay. Mary Anne drowned bear the Fort Hill Bath House in 1909 and was buried in Palmerston Cemetery. Glamor was one of four brothers who enlisted for the AIF in 1915 - William (3051), Matthew (428) and Palencio (enlisted but did not serve). Garr Street is named for William and Matthew who were killed in the First World War.,
History
After training in Brisbane, Garr embarked on 30 March 1916 on HMAT A16 ‘Star of Victoria’. In August 1916 he joined his battalion and participated in the attack on Pozières. He suffered gunshot wounds to his back and chest and was evacuated to the 23rd General Hospital at Etaples. Garr rejoined his battalion in April 1917 in the Hindenburg Line defences and saw action at Bullecourt. The battalion then switched to Belgium and Garr fought at Menin Road and Broodseinde Ridge. On the night of 17 July 1918, the 26th Battalion was involved in operations south of Villers-Bretonneux. It was during this attack that Garr ‘displayed great coolness and exceptional bravery under very heavy artillery fire’ in carrying messages back to company headquarters and assisted in securing their vulnerable position. For this action Garr won the Military Medal - he was one of just twenty Territorians who received decorations for service during the Great War.
Garr embarked on HT 'Ypiringa' on 15 May 1919 for Australia. He arrived in Melbourne on 5 July and proceeded by train to Brisbane where he was discharged on 28 August 1919. Source: Paul Rosenzweig, 2013.,
Subject
History,
World War, 1914-1918,
ANZAC,
Northern Territory,
Australia. Army. Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,
Related materials
Rosenzweig, Paul A. Filipino AIF volunteers from the Northern Territory: Part 1 the Garr family. Sabretache, Vol. 54 no. 4, December 2013: p.40-53.,
Related links
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=4026528,
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1067580/RCDIG1067580--246-.JPG,
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page/R1556175/,
http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/awm4/23/43/,
http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11213.asp,
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1068287--39-.PDF,
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1068538--51-.PDF,
http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11213.asp [Australian War Memorial : 26th Battalion],
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=4026528 [Service Record],
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page/R1556175/ [Nominal Roll],
http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/awm4/23/43/ [Unit War Diary],
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1067580/RCDIG1067580--246-.JPG [Embarkation Roll - HMAT A16 ‘Star of Victoria’],
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1068287--39-.PDF [Military Medal],
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1068538--51-.PDF [Military Medal - Recommendation],