​Wilfred George Gale, son of George Gale and Catherine Grace Fleming, was a 22 year old farm hand when he embarked with the 40th Battalion onboard the HMAT Berrima on 1 July 1916.
 
The 40th Battalion, seen in the image above, was recruited entirely from Tasmania including its officers. Lieutenant General John Monash later wrote, “The fact that it was composed wholly of the men of a small island state, gave it a special stimulus to the highest emulation of all other units. In no other unit was the pride of origin and sense of responsibility to the people it represented stronger than the 40th Battalion.”
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