Service: Army – 2/21 Australian Infantry Battalion
Service number: VX27263
Locality on Enlistment: Geelong
Duration of Service: 15 Jun 1940 – KIA
Prisoner of War: Yes
Honours: None for display
Date and Place of Birth: 29 Jun 1915 Colac
Parents: Elizabeth Alice ROBERTSON
Spouse:
School/s:
Occupation:
Date and Place of Death: 5 Jul 1945 Ambon Island, Indonesia
Place of Burial: Ambon War Cemetery
NOTES:
A tribute to the officers and men of “Gull Force” comprising of 2/21 Battalion and attached units. On the night of 30-31 Jan 1942 this small force of 1131 Australian soldiers were stationed at Ambon, an island which formed part of the Netherland East Indies (now Indonesia). An invasion of approximately 20,000 Japanese overwhelmed Gull Force and the majority of the Australian soldiers were taken prisoner. In Oct 1942 just under a third of the force was transferred by the Japanese to Hainan. Gavin’s brother James Ewen Robertson was among the 229 soldiers executed at Laha, starvation, over work, disease and the absence of medical supplies led to horrific loss. At the cessation of hostilities only 352 of the original 1131 had made it back to Australia. Gavin himself died of illness on Ambon.