In commemoration of ANZAC day, our Local Studies team would like to share the story of Walter Gors, who served in World War One. Walter Gors recorded a small diary of his experiences in service between 1916-1918. Throughout the pages of his diary the frenzied nature of day-to-day life was captured, which included his experiences in the trenches in Villers-Bretonneux. We are lucky that this diary survived the war and a digital copy was donated to the Library Service by the Gors family and is available to read on our History Hub website.

Walter Uel Gors was born in Orange, NSW in 1894. Very little is known about his childhood or teen years. In June 1916, prior to his 22nd birthday, Walter Gors enlisted in the Australian Military Forces at the Victoria Barracks in Sydney. He was allocated regimental number 17556. He was single at the time and working as a Municipal Clerk.

Gors was assigned to the Army Medical Corps. Upon completing his training, he was deemed competent to carry out hospital work and left Australia on the HMAT A20 Horotata on 14 June 1917. He arrived in Europe one month later.

While serving in the 6th Field Ambulance, Walter Gors was promoted from Private to Lance Corporal. Gors recorded his experiences in a small diary as well as in letters he sent home to his family. The daily entries from Gors’ diary reveal the frenzied nature of day-to-day life on the Western Front. It also reveals the respect he had for his fellow soldiers and the mateship that was formed.

One entry from the diary, dated 4th and 5th July reads,

“4th July- Bunker is gassed and evacuated. After a while we moved back to the tunnel and several more men are evacuated as the result of the gas. Feel sick myself…5th July- Visit Villers-Bretonneux three times during the day. Once for coal, the other twice to see the town, which is in a terribly shattered condition…very heavy firing during the night”

Walter Gors was also artistic. Gors drew sketches of battlefield scenes and portraits of his fellow stretcher bearers. He also took many photographs on his Brown Box camera of the trenches, the battlefields and photos of places he visited while on leave in Europe. 

Walter Gors was hospitalised with influenza in November 1918. He returned to Australia in April 1919 and was formally discharged on 21st March 1920. Gors suffered from illness for the rest of his life due to the effects of being gassed during battle.

Walter Gors returned to Council work post-war. He worked for Warringah Council for 31 years and was Warringah Shire Clerk from 1945 to 1950.

Walter Gors became joint owner with Jack Tennant in one of the last remaining Fishermen’s Huts at Fishermen’s Beach on Long Reef. Fishermen’s Huts, of which there were approximately seven, were built in the 1870s and all but one, ‘The Big Hut’ which still stands, were demolished by end of the 1950s.

Walter Gors died in 1970 aged 76. He was highly respected and Warringah Council honoured his memory with a park in Dee Why bearing his name.

If you are interested in the story of Walter Gors, Manly Library will be holding a small visual display of Northern Beaches ANZAC history. This will be available to view in the weeks leading up to ANZAC day.

If you would like further information, please contact the Northern Beaches Library Local Studies Team at LocalHistory@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au or visit History Hub

Images Courtesy of Walter Gors Family