Septimus Gollan
Septimus Clarance Gollan
Rank: Private
Service Number: 3756
Unit Served: 10th Battalion
Septimus Clarance Gollan was born on the 19th October, 1895 in Mt. Gambier to Roderick and Louisa Gollan. He was a driver before he enlisted and had served in both the cadets and the Citizen Forces.
He enlisted on the 10th August 1915 at the age of 19 years and 9 months. He was 5’ 8¾” tall, had a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair and weighed 142 lbs. He was assigned to the 12th Reinforcement of the 10th Battalion and embarked from Adelaide on the “Malwa” on the 2nd December, 1915. After spending a few months in Egypt, he arrived in France at Marseilles on the 4th April 1916 and joined the 10th Battalion on the 30th July. He remained with that battalion for the following 14 months and would have seen much action, including the fierce fighting at Pozieres in July and August 1916, and the second Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917, before being granted leave in England from the 27th August to the 11th September, 1917. After rejoining his unit, he would have seen further action in the Battle of the Menin Road, before he was killed on the 1st October during the Battle of Polygon Wood.
Septimus had a son Roy, and is fondly remembered by his family. He is buried in the Buttes New British Cemetery in Polygon Wood, Belgium, in Plot XXVI, Row C, Grave 17.
Image sourced from the Virtual War Memorial of Australia, vwma.org.au
