Victor Kenneth Creed 3718
PRIVATE VICTOR KENNETH CREED
3718 – 2nd Pioneer Battalion
Born 18 December 1894 in Reading, Berkshire, England, Victor was the son of John William Henry and Polly (Mary Ann nee Wells) Creed. The family, John, aged 35; Polly, 32; Victor, 14; Florence, 7; John jnr, 4 and Margaret aged 2, arrived in Australia on board Otway on 7 April 1910. Polly died in Brisbane in 1911. John re-married to Bridget Mahoney in Brisbane in 1912. The couple had a son, George Thomas in 1912.
On 23 October 1916 Victor, a single Miner of Sunnybank, South Coast Line, Queensland, underwent a medical examination at Brisbane and signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’. He stated his previous military service as 4 years with the Senior Cadets. There is a later reference to service with the Queensland Volunteer Corps from 1910.
He named as his Next-of-Kin his stepmother Mrs Bridget Creed, later changing this to his father John William Creed of Sunnybank.
Victor was 5ft 10ins tall and weighed 145lbs. He had a dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.
After a short stay at the 11th Depot Battalion, he was moved to Compound Company, Lytton Camp, Lytton on 26 October, and had Home Leave from 11 to 13 February to see his parents. He was appointed to the Miners Corps on 28 February 1917 and on 2 April transferred to the Tunnelling Coys.
On 7 May 1917 he was transferred to the 9th Reinforcements for the 2nd Pioneer Battalion and embarked on 11 May 1917 at Melbourne on board HMAT A9 Shropshire.
There were 170 Tunneller Reinforcements also on board when Shropshire departed. She travelled via Fremantle, Western Australia, Durban and Capetown in South Africa before the 70-day voyage ended at Plymouth, England on 19 July 1917.
Victor marched in to the Pioneer Training Battalion at Fovant on 19 July, and after an extended training period, proceeded overseas to France on 6 November 1917. He was taken on strength of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion on 14 November.
He was detached to 184th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers from 1 March to 1 April 1918. On 16 June 1918 he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Machine Gun Battalion and taken on strength of that unit.
Victor was wounded on 1 September 1918, suffering a gunshot wound to his right leg. He was treated at the 6th Field Ambulance and 61st Casualty Clearing Station on the same day and admitted to the 9th General Hospital at Rouen on 3 September.
The War Diary of the 2nd M.G. Bn. for 1 September records: “6th A.I.Bde. with 7th A.M.G. Coy attached moved through 5th A.I.Bde over Mont St. Quentin.”
Invalided to the U.K. on 6 September he was admitted to the Bath War Hospital on 7 September. Discharged to furlough on 1 October, Victor reported to No.1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny on 16 October.
He was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill on 7 November. Victor was absent without leave from 0001hrs, 21 November to 1000hrs, on 22 November and was awarded forfeiture of 5 days pay. Again going absent without leave at Sandhill from 0001hrs, 1 January 1919 to 2100hrs, 6 January, he was awarded forfeiture of 18 days pay for this indiscretion.
Victor left London on 25 January 1919 for return to Australia on board Ceramic, arriving 14 March 1919. He was discharged on 25 April 1919 entitled to wear the British War Medal (29325) and the Victory Medal (27965).
In 1920 Victor married Gladioli Amaryllis Porter, daughter of John Porter and Emma Eliza (nee Harrison) in Queensland. Gladioli died in 1923, aged just 23 years.
On 24 April 1920 he completed Attestation No. 703 to join the Australian Military Forces, Permanent Forces, at Brisbane. He listed his previous service with the 7th Machine Gun Company from 23 October 1916 to 25 April 1919 and Garrison Military Police (possibly with the Regimental number 99) from 22 August 1919 to 23 April 1920. Serving as a Gunner in the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, on 24 April 1925 he re-engaged for a further 3 years service.
In 1927 he married Beatrice May Flatman in Queensland and listed her as his next-of Kin, giving her address as 66 Kelvin Grove Road, Normanby, Brisbane.
There followed re-engagement for 3 years on 24 April 1928 and a further 3 years on 24 April 1931. He was appointed Lance-Bombadier on 22 August 1932 after 12 years 99 days service as a Gunner. 1 year and 92 days later his promotion to Lance-Bombadier was confirmed on 23 November 1933. He again re-engaged for 3 years on 24 April 1934.
On 29 January 1935 Victor applied for a vacant Provost Sergeant position in the 1st Military District, citing his qualifications as:
14 years 9 months service with the Royal Australian Artillery
2½ years with the Australian Imperial Force
In possession of following certificates:
(1) School of Artillery
(2) Sergeant’s Certificate
(3) 2nd. Class Education
Clerical experience:
Six (6) years, Master Gunner’s Office, R.A.A., Brisbane
On 13 March 1935 he was transferred to the Provost Staff and promoted to Sergeant rank at Headquarters, 11th Mixed Brigade. The Australian Commonwealth Gazette No.37 of 11 July 1935 notified the award to Victor Kenneth Creed of the Australian Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct.
Sergeant Creed, Provost Staff, re-engaged for 2 years on 24 April 1936, and again re-engaged for 2 years on 1 July 1938. He was promoted Warrant Officer Class II (Clerk) on 5 October 1939.
On 12 September 1941 he was released from the Permanent Military Forces to WE (War Establishment?) and promoted to Temporary Warrant Officer Class 1 on 22 September.
He entered Greenslopes Hospital on 22 May 1942 complaining of a nervous breakdown or stroke, which began about 24 April 1942 and was caused by overwork. His unit marched him out to 112th Australian General Hospital, Greenslopes on 4 June 1942.
A Medical Examination on 24 June 1942 recorded: diagnosis of Hypertension – “Admitted to Hospital in an unconscious condition. Subsequently found to have very high Blood Pressure and loss of use of the left hand and leg. Paralysis is now almost completely recovered. Blood Pressure 215/170.”
He was assessed as having a 100% disability and it was noted that he ‘requires further hospitalisation’.
QP703 Creed, V.K., Australian Instructional Corps, was removed from the seriously ill list at 1525 hours on 18 June 1942 at the 112th Australian General Hospital, Greenslopes. A hand-written note records: 112 AGH Greenslopes – QP703 WO1 Creed V.K. died 0330hrs 31.7.42. - went on extended home leave (date obscured).
A Message Form memo states he was on leave from 112 A.G.H. became suddenly ill, ambulance sent to bring him to hospital – dead on arrival at 0330 hrs 31/7/42.
His widow received a telegram from the Minister for the Army extending profound sympathy.
The Burial Return of 28 August 1942 records: Mt. Thompson Crematorium, Grave no. 760.5839. Date of death registered as 31 July 1942 – date of burial 1 August 1942.
His Military documents were forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Brisbane in September 1942.
He is commemorated on AWM147 Roll of Honour cards, 1939-1945 War, 2nd AIF (Australian Imperial Force) and CMF (Citizen Military Force)
Victor’s father also served in the First World War:
Born 19 June 1875 in Berkshire, England, John William Henry Creed was 43 years and 4 months of age when he completed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, specifically ‘Relief Troops for Rabaul’, on 1 October 1917.
John was a married Farm Labourer with four children under 16 years of age living at Runcorn, South Coast Line, Queensland. He named his wife Bridget Creed of the same address as his Next-of-Kin and allotted three fifths of his pay for the support of his wife and children.
John was 5ft 9ins tall and weighed 150lbs. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. He underwent a medical examination and signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 1 October.
Allocated Regimental number 1212 and the rank of Private, he embarked from Brisbane on 10 November 1917 on board S.S. Sumatra as a member of the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force. Arriving in Rabaul on 26 November he was taken on strength and posted to “A” Company.
On 8 December 1917 he was detailed for duty in Rabaul with the Garrison Police. He departed to Kokopo on 10 September 1918, returning to Rabaul on 5 November. He returned to Kokopo for a week from 12 to 19 November and then returned back to Rabaul.
He embarked for return to Australia on S.S. Melusia on 20 November 1918 and was discharged at own request in Brisbane on 7 January 1919 and awarded the British War Medal (32565) for his service. His Military documents were forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Brisbane, in March 1938.
John William Henry Creed, son of George and Ellen (nee Sherwood) Creed died in Brisbane in 1938. His wife Bridget died in 1948.
Victor’s brother served in the Second World War:
CREED, JOHN WILLIAM HENRY
Australian Army - Service number: Q302205Rank: Private
Date And Place Of Birth: 1 February 1905, Reading, England
Enlisted: 16 July 1940 Locality At Enlistment: Woodridge, Qld
Place Of Enlistment: Enoggera, Qld
Next Of Kin: Creed, Eileen
Discharged: 29 August 1941 Posting At Discharge: 1 Labour Company
John William Henry Creed (jnr) married Eileen Florence Wruck in Brisbane in 1934.
Florence Ada Belmont Creed married Alfred Scott in 1928 and died in 1958.
George Thomas Creed died in 1948.
© Donna Baldey 2010
Photo below of commemorative plate by kind permission of
The War Graves Photographic Project
