Felix Gordon Giles, DSO (23 November 1885—22 June 1950) was an Australian engineer who served as an officer in

ANZAC The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...

's 10th Battalion during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Early life and education

Giles was born in Darwin on 23 November 1885 to

Alfred Giles Alfred Giles may refer to: * Alfred Giles (architect) (1853–1920), Texas architect * Alfred Giles (civil engineer) (1816–1895), British civil engineer and politician * Alfred Giles (explorer) (1846–1931), South Australian bushman, drover an ...

and Mary Augusta Giles (née Sprigg). He was educated at St Peter's College,

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

and passed a three-year course at the

School of Mines A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of ...

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. Giles married Elsie Kilpack on 24 July 24, 1909. He worked for the electrical branch of the General Post Office and later the Adelaide Electric Lighting and Traction Company.

Military career

Giles enlisted in the South Australian Scottish Infantry in May 1908 and rose through the ranks. He was promoted to

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

in March 1910, to

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

in September 1910 and to 2nd lieutenant on 21 August 1911. After the outbreak of

Giles was transferred to the Australian Imperial Force and assigned command of the 10th Battalion's G Company. In January 1915, when his company was merged with D Company, Giles became second-in-command of the company. Giles was promoted to captain in September 1914. He participated in the Gallipoli Campaign, assuming command of D Company when the company commander was wounded. He was one of only four officers within the 3rd Brigade to serve continuously from the first landing to the evacuation. In March 1916 Giles was promoted to major. At the

Battle of Pozières The Battle of Pozières (23 July – 3 September 1916) took place in northern France around the village of Pozières, during the Battle of the Somme. The costly fighting ended with the British in possession of the plateau north and east of the ...

he was gassed and suffered multiple concussions from near misses of high explosive shells. He persisted and led his men into defensive positions, conduct that brought him the second recommendation for the DSO. His coolness under fire was praised by his fellow officers. In January 1917 Giles suffered from

shell shock Shell shock is a term that originated during World War I to describe symptoms similar to those of combat stress reaction and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which many soldiers suffered during the war. Before PTSD was officially recogni ...

after being wounded during a reconnaissance. His conduct at the capture of Le Barque, where he harassed the German rearguard during their withdrawal, earned him a mention in

Alexander Haig Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. (; 2 December 192420 February 2010) was United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House chief of staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Prior to and in between these cabine ...

's dispatches on 9 April 2017, and later that year he was awarded the DSO for "services rendered in the prosecution of the war". After the war Giles resumed his civilian work as an electrical engineer. He became a meter superintendent with the

Adelaide Electric Supply Company The Electricity Trust of South Australia (ETSA) was the South Australian Government-owned monopoly vertically integrated electricity provider from 1946 until its privatisation in 1999. Precursors Early days (1882–1900) Charles Todd, an e ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giles, Felix Gordon 1885 births 1950 deaths Australian military personnel of World War I Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order People from Darwin, Northern Territory Military personnel from the Northern Territory