James Gordon VC Memorial Rest Area Traditional Cache

Welcome to the VC Memorial Rest Area series of caches. These caches have been placed to replace the caches that were originally located here by Big Matt & Shell. These original caches were my VERY first lot of caches so I was upset to see them archived. Discussed with Big Matt & Shell, the agreement was made to have new caches placed at these locations.

James Gordon VC

 
WX 2437 Private James Heather GORDON
2/31st Australian Infantry Battalion, A.I.F.
10th July 1941, near Jezzine Djezzinel, Syria
 
"On the night of 10th July 1941 during an attack on "Greenhill", North of Djezzine, Private Gordon's Company came under intense machine-gun fire and its advance was held up. Movement even by single individuals became impossible, one officer and two men being killed and two men being wounded in the effort to advance. The enemy machine-gun position which had brought the two forward platoons to a halt was fortified and completely covered the area occupied by our forces. Private Gordon, on his own initiative, crept forward over an area swept by machine-gun and grenade fire and succeeded in approaching close to the post; he then charged it from the front and killed the four machine-gunners with bayonet. His action completely demoralised the enemy in this sector and the Company advanced and took the position. During the remainder of the action that night and on the following day, Private Gordon, who has throughout operations shown a high degree of courage, fought with equal gallantry." [London Gazette: 28th October 1941]

James Heather GORDON was born at Rockingham, Western Australia on 7 March 1909. He died on 19 July 1986 and was buried in the Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia.