Major George Holbrook Patterson, 7th Australian Field Artillery Brigade

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Major George Holbrook Patterson, 7th Australian Field Artillery Brigade

Australian War Memorial

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George Holbrook was born on 2 November 1888 in the Victorian seaside city of Geelong. He was the elder of two children born to Samuel and Theresa Patterson, with his sister Ruth born in 1890.

The family remained living in Geelong throughout George’s childhood. He attended Geelong Grammar School, where his father was the headmaster of the junior school. George excelled at school, and was a senior prefect, active sportsman, editor of the school magazine, and acting lieutenant in the school cadet corps in his final year. George completed his schooling with first class honours in 1906, having won 19 academic prizes throughout his time at Geelong Grammar School.

George turned down a scholarship to Trinity College in order to accept a commission into the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery. His father died two years later in 1908, and George moved to “The Oaks” in South Yarra with his mother. He was given the rank of captain in the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, and was placed in command of the garrison in Tasmania.

George enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 1 April 1916. He was allotted to the 3rd Australian Divisional Artillery with the rank of Captain. He departed Melbourne in HMAT Medic on 20 May 1916, bound for England.

Patterson arrived in Plymouth after an uneventful sea voyage, and spent the next five months training at Larkhill in southern England. He proceeded overseas to France on the 29th of December 1916, and moved with the Artillery to the northern French town of Strazeele. 

On 21 January 1917, George was temporarily promoted to the rank of major, and placed in command of the 107 Howitzer Battery as part of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade. The battery operated twelve 4.5-inch howitzers, and provided artillery support for the operations of the Australian forces. The brigade remained based around Armentieres in northern France until mid-March, when they moved to the village of Ploegsteert in south-western Belgium. 

Over the following weeks, the brigade’s positions were frequently subjected to heavy enemy shelling, and so were the forward Australian lines. In early April, George’s promotion to major was made permanent, and he continued to command the 107 Howitzer Battery.

On the 14th of April, George Patterson was with his battery, registering locations of enemy targets for the guns, when their exposed position became known to the enemy. Despite increased enemy shelling, George refused to leave his position until he had registered the location and details of the enemy positions. Just as he was preparing to evacuate the position, an enemy shell burst beside him. Major George Patterson died a few minutes later.

He was 28 years old. 

Following George’s death, his mother received letters of condolence from Brigadier-General H.W. Grimwade, commander of the 3rd Australian Divisional Artillery, and Lieutenant Colonel H.D.K. Macartney of the 7th Field Artillery Brigade. Macartney, a friend and schoolmate of George’s, wrote: “I can assure you that he was a loss to me as a friend, and a very decided and deep loss to the unit to which he belonged … He showed extraordinary energy and, I fear, excessive boldness and fearlessness in the face of danger. He never shrank from the performance of any duty.”

Grimwade recalled that George had “set a splendid example of loyalty and devotion to duty to all those around him, as well to those under him. He had achieved for his battery a splendid reputation and his men were all devoted to him. He will be sorely missed by the whole of his brigade, and his replacement will be a difficulty. He did his work in a high-spirited manner, perfectly regardless of personal dangers, but he was not careless, and his death can only be attributed to the misfortune of war.”

George Patterson’s remains were buried by the Reverend Henry Morshead of the 3rd Australian Division at Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery in Ploegsteert in Belgium.

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