Wyndham History

Sidney Frank Tregilgas (1894-1964)

Item

Placeholder image - Veteran.png

Dublin Core

Type

Title

Sidney Frank Tregilgas (1894-1964)

Contributor

Publisher

Wyndham City Libraries

Format

text

Language

eng

World War One Veterans Item Type Metadata

Name

Sidney Frank Tregilgas

Birth Date

Birthplace

Service Number

702 later V1226

Enlistment Date

Next of Kin

Mrs Elizabeth Tregilgas,
Meningie,
South Australia

Address at time of Enlistment

Little River

Occupation

Marital Status

Single

Death Date

Place of Burial

Corryong Cemetery

Biographical Text

No.702  Corporal Sidney Tregilgas
[Listed on RSL Honor Board as Tregilgis, but correct spelling is Tregilgas]

Sidney Frank Tregilgas's birth was registered in 1897 at Kensington, Victoria. His parents were William Tregilgas and Elizabeth Henderson. *

They had married on 17 February 1884, at Wellington in South Australia. William and Elizabeth had four sons, and all enlisted in the A.I.F. during the Great War.

  • George Richard Tregilgas - born at Mallala South Australia, (A.I.F. No.1749),
  • Harry Cecil Tregilgas - born at Wellington South Australia, (A.I.F. No.4129),
  • Vivian Kenneth Tregilgas - born at Wellington South Australia, (A.I.F. No.5229),
  • Sidney Frank Tregilgas - born at Drysdale, Victoria. (A.I.F. No.702)

[On his enlistment application for the A.I.F., he stated that he had been born at Drysdale in Victoria.]

Pre War
In 1902 his father (William Tregilgas) was a blacksmith at the Burdett Quarries near Murray Bridge.
Chronicle (Adelaide), 4 September 1952, p.8.

After leaving school, Sidney Tregilgas was an apprentice baker with Mr J. Carter in Meningie, South Australia.

In 1913, an arrest warrant was issued at Murray Bridge for Sydney Frank Tregilgas. (aged 16 years, 5’9” tall, brown hair, residing at Sandalwood Siding on the Brown’s Well railway line). He had been accused of stealing a boat.
ancestry.com - South Australia Police Gazette of 1913.

He then moved to Little River, prior to his enlisting for WW1.

War Service
Sidney Tregilgas enlisted in the A.I.F. in Melbourne on 8 February 1915 and went to the Broadmeadows Camp for basic Training, which he completed on 1 May 1915.

He embarked at Melbourne on 10 May 1915 per HMAT Ulysses A38, with the 22nd Infantry Battalion, and sailed to Egypt.

On 30 August 1915, Private Tregilgas embarked at Alexandria for Gallipoli.  Eighteen days later, while fighting at Anzac, he received a gunshot wound to his scalp, and was evacuated to St Patrick’s Hospital on the island of Malta.

After four months of treatment, he was discharged from Hospital on 3 December 1915, and sent to the Overseas Base at Giza in Egypt to recuperate.

On 10 February 1916, he was transferred to the Garrison Camp at Zeitoun, and remained there until early April 1916.

At this time, he was transferred from the 22nd Battalion to the Anzac Provost Corps at Abbassia, and promoted to Acting Corporal.  He remained with them until December 1916, when he was attached to the 1st Light Horse Brigade Headquarters at El Arish, for two months.

In February 1917, his old scalp wound caused him to be readmitted to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Abbassia for treatment.  The decision was taken to evacuate him back to Australia for discharge. He embarked from Suez per H.T. Willochra on 8 March 1917.

Two months later, on 30 May 1917, he was discharged from the A.I.F. at Melbourne.

Post War
After being discharged, Sidney moved to Corryong, on the Upper Murray.

Whilst there, he married, and worked for the local Shire. He then took up a farm and raised cattle.

In 1920, Sidney Frank Tregilgas married Marjorie Elizabeth Bailey in Victoria.
Great War Index, Victoria 1914-1920 – Cert No.1795/1920

The couple are recorded at Corryong in the Electoral Roll from 1921.

The records indicate that Sidney and Elizabeth had two daughters. Miss Hazel Tregilgas (second daughter of Mr & Mrs S. Tregilgas) married at Corryong in February 1941.
Their eldest daughter, Jean, was the bridesmaid.
Albury Banner Wodonga Express and Riverina Stock Journal, 14 February 1941, p.30.

WW2 Service
At the age of 46 years, Sidney Tregilgas enlisted in the A.I.F. at Wangaratta, on 2 July 1940, and served for three years. (On his application form he took three years off his actual age).  During that time he didn't serve overseas or in any prescribed operational area.

He was taken on strength with the C.M.F.'s 12th Garrison Battalion, as a Driver, Class III, and served at the Bandiana Base.

He was discharged from the A.I.F. on 18 August 1943.

Post WW2
In 1952 there was a reunion of the four Tregilgas brothers at Murray Bridge.  This was the first time that they had been reunited in 50 years.

At that time:

  • George R. Tregilgas was retired farmer living at Karoonda
  • Harry C. Tregilgas was an Apiarist living at Murray Bridge
  • V. Ken Tregilgas was living at Forestville and worked at the West Terrace Cemetery
  • Sidney Frank Tregilgas was living at Corryong "in the mountainous Kosciusko country, where he raised cattle."
Chronicle (Adelaide), 4 September 1952, p.8.

Sidney applied to Repatriation Department for benefits in March 1963, and he died in Corryong in the following year.

Medals and Entitlements:

  • 1914/15 Star
  • British War Medal
  • Victory Medal
  • Returned From Active Service Badge (WWI)
  • War Medal (WWII)
  • Australia Service Medal (WWII)

Notes
His WW1 service file has been merged with his WW2 service file.

There are two photos of him in his service file, taken during his second enlistment.

Name on the Werribee Shire Oak Board: TREGILGIS, S. (incorrect spelling)

Name on the Little River Honour Board: Corporal S. Tregilgis (incorrect spelling)

Name "Tregilgis, S. from Little River" (incorrect spelling) first appeared in the Roll of Honor, Werribee Shire Banner, 6 July 1916, p.1.

* Australian Marriage Index 1788-1950 (Vol 138/page 598) states that her name was Elizabeth Henderson Patrick.

Bibliography

Embarkation
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/

Unit War Diary
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection

Death
ancestry.com.au

Service Record
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/

Marriage
ancestry.com.au

Pioneer Index 1837-1888 CD
Federation Index 1889-1901 CD
Edwardian Index 1902-1913 CD
Great War Index 1914-1920 CD

Medals and Entitlements

1914-15 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal

Citation

“Sidney Frank Tregilgas (1894-1964),” Wyndham History, accessed December 10, 2023, http://www.wyndhamhistory.net.au/items/show/2540.

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