Ira W Gunn DCM
Jeparit Rowing Club (VIC)
1893 - 16th April 1918
Ira Warren Gunn was born and bed in Nhill Victoria.
He enlisted for WWI on 25th August 1914 with service number 408. His next of kin was his widowed mother. He was then 21years 3 months old with an occupation of painter. He had previous service in the senior cadets at Nhill.
Ira served at Gallipoli and in France with distinction, being promoted in the field to Sergeant and being awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in November 1917.
His citation for the Distinguished Conduct Medal follows:
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in an attack. He took command of his platoon when his officer became a casualty, and during the advance encountered a party of the enemy assembling for an attack. He rushed forward firing his rifle, and the enemy fell back to a concrete dugout, where they held up the advance by machine gun fire. He attacked and silenced the machine gun, capturing the entire crew. His courage set a splendid example to his men.
He was killed in France on 16th April 1918 and buried at the Nieppe Bois Military Cemetery.
Graham Drage
September 2021