The Gay Brothers of Lang Lang serve in World War One

Three sons of Robert and  Alice Elizabeth Gay, of Lang Lang, served in the First World War. Robert Gay and Alice Elizabeth Bray had married in 1890 and they had nine children; the place of registration of the births gives us some indication as to where the family were living at the time - Phillip John McCandlish (born 1891 at Napoleons), Rupert Alfred (1893, Napoleons), Susan Elizabeth (1895, Wycheproof), Robert (1897, Wycheproof),  Arthur (1899, Wycheproof), Alice (known as Dot, 1902, Wycheproof), Marjorie Ada (1904, Meeniyan), Sam Bamford (1908, St Kilda) and Gus Davies (1910, Napoleons) and Keith (1912, Ballarat). (1)

The family purchase Noorong, Lang Lang

The family are first  listed in the of Cranbourne Rate books in the 1904/1905 year and this date is confirmed by the fact that four of the children - Phillip, Rupert, Susan and Robert are listed on the school roll for the first time in 1905. (2) The farm, Noorong, was 492 acres, lots 9,16 and 17 in the Parish of Lang Lang, owned by John McGann (and originally owned by William Lyall and then his son Theodore ).  McGann had put the property up for auction in November 1904, so we can assume that Robert Gay was the purchaser. (3) They had previously been at Drumdlemara, in the Koonwarra district.  (4)

However, in the 1906 to 1913 Electoral Rolls they are listed as farming at Emerald, so they possibly leased the Lang Lang farm out during this time.  They then returned to Lang Lang, which is where they were living when the three boys enlisted . (5)

Robert senior subdivided the farm into three blocks in 1920 and in the 1925 Cranbourne Shire Rate books  Philip is listed for 118 acres,  Rupert 100 acres and Robert junior 131 acres. Robert junior purchased his block under the Soldier Settlement scheme (6) In 1930 Rupert had sold his land, and Philip and Robert junior had the same land holdings as in 1925. (7)

Left: Sale of Noorong.
Shepparton Advertiser, November1, 1904.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article270026807

By 1924, Robert senior and Alice had moved to a farm in Watsons Road, Glen Waverley. In 1931, Robert had retired and they had made a sea change and moved to Second Avenue in Mentone and in 1934 to 89 Patty Street in Mentone. (8) This is where they were living when Robert died on February 24, 1939 at the age of 79. Alice then moved to 51 St Vincent's Place in Albert Park. Alice died on June 16, 1951 at the age of 84. They are both buried at the Cheltenham Memorial Park Cemetery. (9)

Death notices of Robert and Alice

Death notice of Robert
The Age, February 25, 1939 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205969890

Death notice of Alice

The Age, June 18, 1951 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209818891

As we said, three of the sons of Robert and Alice served in World War One Here are the details of the War Service of the brothers. I have included their Service number (SN), so you can look up their full record on the National Archives, www.naa.gov.au

Gay, Phillip John McCandlish (SN 1474) Phillip was 23 when he enlisted on July 31, 1915 and served in the 13th Light Horse.  He was a farm labourer, his next of kin was his mother, Alice. Phillip Returned to Australia April 12, 1919. (10)  After the War he lived at Lang Lang and married Hilda Augusta Ollson on October 12, 1920; they had one son, Ian. By 1936 they had moved to 104 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park and later to 41 Fisher Street, Malvern East.  Phillip died on April 21, 1956 and was cremated at Springvale. Hilda died in Queensland in 1995. (11)

Phillip and Hilda get married

The Argus, October 28, 1920  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4574938

Phillip's death notice

The Argus, April 24, 1956 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71799156

Gay, Rupert Alfred   (SN 1479)  Rupert was in the 4th Light Horse and the 1st ANZAC Cyclist Corp, and he enlisted on August 14, 1915 at the age of 21. He was labourer and his next of kin was his father, Robert. Rupert Returned to Australia June 12, 1919. (12) A farewell was held at the Lang Lang Hall on August 30, 1915 to say goodbye to some of the local boys who had joined up - including Rupert Gay. Below are two excerpts from the Lang Lang Guardian report (13) -

Farewell at Lang Lang

Lang Lang Guardian, September 1, 1915. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119512821

After the War, Rupert lived in Lang Lang and married Elizabeth Bonfield 'Bonnie' Holmes on November 23, 1929 and they had two children, Mervyn and Valerie.  They lived at Korumburra after their marriage, where he was a carpenter and by 1943 they were living at 298 Williams Road, Toorak.  Rupert died on February 18, 1967 and was cremated at Springvale. Bonnie died in 1995 and is buried at the Heathcote Cemetery. (14)

Rupert and Bonnie get married

The Argus, December 21 1929 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4058278

Rupert's death notice

The Age, February 20, 1967, p.15 from newspapers.com

Gay, Robert  (SN 5356)  Robert enlisted on April 10, 1916 at the age of 18. He served in the 23rd Battalion and later the Graves Regiment.  His next of kin was his father, Robert, and his occupation was farm labourer. Robert Returned to Australia October 8, 1919 (15) Robert married Eleanor Lois Ellison on July 3, 1926 and they three daughters - Dorothy, Roma and Bobbie.  By 1934 the couple were operating a mixed business at 256 Johnston Street, Abbotsford and they were living at Rosemore Road in Rosebud when Robert died on November 3, 1966. Eleanor died in 1973 and they were both  cremated at Springvale. (16)

Robert and Eleanor get married

The Argus, September 4, 1926 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3807032

Robert's death notice

The Age November 4, 1966, p.20 from newspapers.com

Robert Gay's poem
This very  patriotic poem Britain's Glory was written by Robert Gay and published in the Lang Lang Guardian in June 1916. 

Britain's Glory

The British Fleet, so dauntless and grand,

Still rides triumphant round our dear Home land,

Despite the arrogant boast of the wily Germ-Hun,

Following his usual jaunt of "Tip and run."

England's glory is still Britain's glory,

And rings still true to the Test sublime; 

It is the thrill and tingle of the People's blood,

Surging- boisterously and appealingly every time.

It is the might and bite of the Nation's right

To straighten out this tangle of the world,

It is the will and strength of those noble parents

Who have flung their loved ones into the whirl,

Resolved to control and blend into a whole

The liberties and freedom of weak-lands,

Still amply rewarded when our Allies recorded

Their grateful response, "Thank you, England."

O, the British Fleet, so stately and true,

With its seamen so chivalrous and grand,

We honor your stupendous sacrifices and dash,

Our gallant, brave hearted, and leal [loyal] British men.

Robert Gay, Lang Lang.

(Lang Lang Guardian, June 14, 1916, p. 2)

The Gay family of Lang Land sent three of their sons off to serve in the Great War, and were fortunate that they all returned home

Footnotes

(1) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages

(2) List of pupils is published in  Protector's Plains: history of Lang Lang Primary School, No. 2899, 1888-1988, and district compiled by Barbara Coghlan (C.B.C. Publishing 1988)

(3) Shire of Cranbourne Rate Books; report on Theodore Lyall and Noorong  in the The Australasian, March 12, 1892, see here; Shepparton Advertiser, November 1, 1904, see here.

(4) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(5) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(6) Robert junior's Soldier Settlement file at the Public Records Office of Victoria - https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/006420E0-F907-11E9-AE98-B358F3DB02A0?image=1  Shire of Cranbourne Rate books. 

(7) Shire of Cranbourne Rate books. 

(8) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(9) Robert death notice - The Age, February 25, 1939, see here; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com. Alice death notice - The Age, June 18, 1951, see here; Friends of Cheltenham & Regional Cemeteries database https://www.focrc.org/

(10) Phillip's Service record at the National Archives of Australia
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4026888

(11) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com;  Phillip: Marriage notice - The Argus, October 28, 1920, see here;  Phillip: Death notice - The Argus, April 24, 1956, see here; Springvale Cemetery database https://www.smct.org.au/deceased-search; Index to Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages. 

(12)  Rupert's Service record at the National Archives of Australia https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4104256

(13) Lang Lang Guardian, September 1, 1915, see here. 

(14) Rupert: Marriage notice - The Argus, December 21 1929, see here; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Rupert: Death notice - The Age, February 20, 1967, p.15 from newspapers.com; Bonnie had remarried - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/285065479/elizabeth-bonfield-fellows

(15) Robert's Service record at the National Archives of Australia https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4026881

(16) Robert: Marriage notice - The Argus, September 4, 1926, see here; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Robert: Death notice - The Age November 4, 1966, p.20 from newspapers.com; Springvale Cemetery database https://www.smct.org.au/deceased-search

This is a revised and expanded version of a post, which I wrote and researched, that appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Commemorates: Our War Years.