Shep's Place Family Tree

Gerald Percy WILD ‎(I10393)‎

Given Names: Gerald Percy
Surname: WILD

Gender: Male Male

Birth: 4 January 1907 Chichester, Sussex, England
Death: 11 October 1996 ‎(Age 89)‎ Western Australia, Australia

Personal Facts and Details

	Events of close relatives
Birth	4 January 1907 Chichester, Sussex, England
Immigration	1923 ‎(Age 15)‎ Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Note: Gerry came to Australia under the "Barwell Boys Immigration Scheme". In 1922 the Premier of South Australia, Henry Barwell, announced the "South Australian Farm Apprenticeship Scheme", which undertook the ambitious target of arranging the immigration of 6,000 young men and boys from England to cover the 6,000 South Australian World War I casualties. He travelled to England to oversee the recruitment of what became known as the "Barwell Boys". Widespread unemployment in England led 14,000 boys, mainly aged between 15 and 17, to apply for the scheme. While the eventual number of Barwell Boys numbered only 1700, the scheme was considered a great success, with many of the émigrés playing significant roles in the development of South Australia.
Biographical Notes	between 1923 and 1939 ‎(Age 15)‎ Note: After arriving in Australia Gerry worked in South Australia in agriculture and then in the mines in Moonta and Broken Hill. During the Great Depression he was unemployed for a time and decided to come to Western Australia as there was work in the gold mines. His wife, Winnie, would not come with him as she had a large supportive family in Broken Hill and South Australia. In 1935 he drove across the Nullarbor Plain with his three children to Norseman where he obtained work on the mines as a powerhouse engineer.
Marriage	Eileen Winifred Winnie SHEPHERD - 29 January 1927 ‎(Age 20)‎ Saint Peters Church, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Military Service	between 1939 and 1945 ‎(Age 31)‎ Note: When WW2 started he enlisted in the 2/11 Battalion and was quickly promoted as he had spent considerable time in the citizen military forces in South Australia. He was sent overseas to North Africa in 1940 and was then sent to Greece and Crete. He escaped from Crete and was sent to Syria before returning to Australia in 1942 with the rank of major. He was then sent to the Pacific where he stayed till the end of the war with Japan. He was decorated with the MBE ‎(Military Division)‎ for his work in North Africa and also mentioned in dispatches. Service Record: Name: WILD, GERALD PERCY Service: Australian Army Service Number: WX908 Date of Birth: 2 Nov 1908 Place of Birth: CHICHESTER, ENG Date of Enlistment: 11 Nov 1939 Locality on Enlistment: KALGOORLIE, WA Place of Enlistment: NORTHAM, WA Next of Kin WILD, COLIN Date of Discharge: 12 Nov 1945 Rank: Major Posting at Discharge: 2/11 AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION WW2 Honours and Gallantry: Member of the Order of the British Empire Prisoner of War: No
Divorce	Eileen Winifred Winnie SHEPHERD - 1942 ‎(Age 34)‎
Public Service	between 1947 and 1965 ‎(Age 39)‎ Member Legislative Assembly Perth, Western Australia, Australia Note: From 1950 he served as a Minister in the portfolios of Housing, Mines, Forests, Works and Water Supplies and Labour.
Public Service	between 1965 and 1971 ‎(Age 57)‎ Western Australian Agent General London, England
Honours	1980 ‎(Age 72)‎ Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia
Death	11 October 1996 ‎(Age 89)‎ Western Australia, Australia
Last Change	28 February 2009 - 10:49:29

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Immediate Family (F3516)
Ex-Wife	Eileen Winifred Winnie SHEPHERD 1904 - 1979
Son	Colin Robert WILD 1927 - 1994
Son	Private -
Daughter	Private -

Notes

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Immigration	Gerry came to Australia under the "Barwell Boys Immigration Scheme". In 1922 the Premier of South Australia, Henry Barwell, announced the "South Australian Farm Apprenticeship Scheme", which undertook the ambitious target of arranging the immigration of 6,000 young men and boys from England to cover the 6,000 South Australian World War I casualties. He travelled to England to oversee the recruitment of what became known as the "Barwell Boys". Widespread unemployment in England led 14,000 boys, mainly aged between 15 and 17, to apply for the scheme. While the eventual number of Barwell Boys numbered only 1700, the scheme was considered a great success, with many of the émigrés playing significant roles in the development of South Australia.
Biographical Notes	After arriving in Australia Gerry worked in South Australia in agriculture and then in the mines in Moonta and Broken Hill. During the Great Depression he was unemployed for a time and decided to come to Western Australia as there was work in the gold mines. His wife, Winnie, would not come with him as she had a large supportive family in Broken Hill and South Australia. In 1935 he drove across the Nullarbor Plain with his three children to Norseman where he obtained work on the mines as a powerhouse engineer.
Military Service	When WW2 started he enlisted in the 2/11 Battalion and was quickly promoted as he had spent considerable time in the citizen military forces in South Australia. He was sent overseas to North Africa in 1940 and was then sent to Greece and Crete. He escaped from Crete and was sent to Syria before returning to Australia in 1942 with the rank of major. He was then sent to the Pacific where he stayed till the end of the war with Japan. He was decorated with the MBE ‎(Military Division)‎ for his work in North Africa and also mentioned in dispatches. Service Record: Name: WILD, GERALD PERCY Service: Australian Army Service Number: WX908 Date of Birth: 2 Nov 1908 Place of Birth: CHICHESTER, ENG Date of Enlistment: 11 Nov 1939 Locality on Enlistment: KALGOORLIE, WA Place of Enlistment: NORTHAM, WA Next of Kin WILD, COLIN Date of Discharge: 12 Nov 1945 Rank: Major Posting at Discharge: 2/11 AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION WW2 Honours and Gallantry: Member of the Order of the British Empire Prisoner of War: No
Public Service	From 1950 he served as a Minister in the portfolios of Housing, Mines, Forests, Works and Water Supplies and Labour.

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Sources

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Source	Wikipedia Citation Details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Barwell
Source	Gerald K. Wild Citation Details: Email Feb 2009
Source	World War 2 Nominal Roll Citation Details: Australian Army, Service number: WX908