SS Minnetonka

George Gillinder, one of 7 children of whom only 4 survived, was the 2nd born of 3 sons and had a younger sister. His parents Thomas William Gillinder Snr of Percy Main and Margaret Brown native of North Shields, born in circa 1864 and 1865 respectively in Northumberland were married in the district of Tynemouth in 1886. Thomas William Jnr was born in 1886, George 1889, Margaret Fawcett 1894 and James Brown Fawcett 1895. In 1901 the family was living at 26, Clara Street, Benwell, where Thomas William was employed as an ordnance filler and Thomas Jnr (14) as a grocer’s errand boy. By 1911 they had moved into 8 rooms at 150, Northbourne Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, Thomas William was now a foreman engineer at the ordnance works, which I believe to be Armstrong-Whitworth, HQ of the biggest munitions company in the run-up and during WW1. His sons Thomas William (24) and George (22) worked as electrical engineers, James (15) a butcher’s errand boy, Margaret 17 remained at home with their mother.

Prior to WW1 George was married March 1st 1913 at Newcastle to Eleanor McGann known affectionately as Nellie, with whom he had a son Eric Brown Gillinder born at Tynemouth, June 13th 1913. When war was declared in August 1914 the family were living at 30, Rockley Road, West Kensington, London, George was employed as an electrical engineer. He enlisted at Grove Park, September 6th 1915, just prior to the birth of his second child Allen Forsyth Gillinder, November 26th 1915. Due to his skills he was posted as Private to the Army Service Corps, Mechanical Division.

Private M2/120292 George Gillinder departed, March 23rd 1916, with the A.S.C. from Devonport, aboard the S.S Minnetonka of the Atlantic Transport Line, in peacetime a passenger ship, London to New York. As part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, with the 644 M.T. Coy, he arrived in Egypt, April 10th, disembarking at Alexandria. During his service between 1916 and January 1919 he was hospitalised no fewer than five times, including hospitals at Balah, Kantara and Alexandria, suffering from malaria, and was admitted to the Mustafa Convalescent Depot, January 28th 1919. Private Gillinder was repatriated to England, March 9th 1919 and discharged with a 50% degree of disability, April 29th 1919, awarded a pension, August 30th 1919 until November 16th 1920, subject to further medical examination.

Both the Gillinder and McGann families were bereaved during WW1. George’s brother Lance Corporal James Brown Fawcett Gillinder was less fortunate than he, killed in action, June 1st 1918, as was Nellie’s brother Lance Corporal Frederick William McGann, April 26th 1915. Both served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, neither has a known grave.

George and his family post war took up residency at 9, Belgrave Terrace, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nellie gave birth, February 10th 1920 to James V. Gillinder and at Teeside in 1922 Ian S. Gillinder.

George and Nellie experienced war with Germany twice in their lifetime. September 1st 1939 the invasion of Poland by Germany brought about a declaration of war by France and Britain. Allen Forsythe Gillinder enlisted service number 287766, was a commissioned Army officer with the rank of Lieutenant, served initially with the Middlesex Regiment and at the time of his death was with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers attached to the 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment.

Lieutenant Allen Forsythe Gillinder died at the age of 23 years, August 6th 1943, during Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily which began July 9th-10th and ended August 17th 1943. He is at rest within Catania War Cemetery, Sicily, Italy, grave IV. C. 21. He left a wife, Dorothy Edith, who during his absence in 1939 had been living with her mother in law Eleanor and brother in law James at Mafeking Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Eleanor Gillinder nee McGann died aged 55 in 1946, district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, George Gillinder in 1951, district of Tynemouth, Northumberland, aged 60 years.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.