Place of Enlistment: Paddington, NSW
Date of Enlistment (AIF): 13 October 1941
Rank: Private
Unit: 2/12th Field Ambulance
Home Town: Northgate, QLD
Next of Kin: Doreen May Aitchison (Wife)
Parents: Angus Garnet Aitchison & Sylvia May Aitchison
Occupation: Clerk
Place of Death: Killed in action, at sea, aboard AHS Centaur
Date of Death: 14 May 1943
Aged: 22
STORY:
Private Garth Aitchison was married to Doreen May Aitchison on 6th February 1942 and gave the home address of “Glenorchy”, Hall Street, Northgate QLD. Garth’s brother, Corporal Noel Angus Aitchison (QX44051) served with the 28 Field Company Royal Australian Engineers as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), 1946-1952 (Japan).
Garth was born in Brisbane on 13 January 1921, rhe eldest son of Angus and Sylvia Aitchison. Little is known of his early years. He grew up in Brisbance, and went on to work as a clerk and accountant until enlisting in the Australian Army Medical Corps on 13 December 1941.
After entering camp at Redbank, he began training at Tamworth in November.
Aitchison became engaged to his sweetheart, Doreen Wilson, before being allotted to reinforcements to the 2/12th Field Ambulance in December.
The 2/12th Field Ambulance would deply personnel in support of copmbat operations aganist the Japanese on Ambon, Timor and in Borneo. In doing so, it would come to have the highest casualty rate of any non-combatant unit in the Australian Army. Aitchison’s training on the job continued with a detachment to an Australian General Hospital in December. Late in the month he was transferred to the Northern Territory.
