KIBBLEWHITE, Gilbert Francis

When Gilbert Kibblewhite arrived in Australia, he was removing himself from a disgrace and a marriage failed through violence.

 Gilbert Kibblewhite married  Ethel Curtis at Westminster, London  on 30 April, 1900. She was the elder daughter of Thomas Figgis Curtis, a stained glass maker, and his wife May. Her younger sister was Dora; both of them were talented artists who studied drawing under the Slade Professor of Art, Fred Brown. Ethel was later to earn her living through at the toyal School of Needlework.  They moved to Storrington in West Sussex where Gilbert became the manager of a dairy farm which his father had bought for him. The marriage was not a success, as Gilbert was unable to control his temper, causing Ethel to several times flee from him with their children Peter and Diana (later the lutanist Diana Poulton). On one occasion when they were separated, Gilbert arrived at his father in law's house at Rustington where Ethel had sought refuge from him and demanded to see her. Being denied, Gilbert burned down one of his father in law's outhouses along with the eight beehives stored inside. The marriage was effectively over by 1903 and Gilbert soon after left for Canada,then Australia, at the behest of his family. He returned during World War One with an Australian army regiment and he and Ethel met to discuss a divorce, but nominated Ethel as his next of kin on his enlistment form.

Ethel lived at her father's house at 67 Frith St, London, where she presided over a literary salon. From 1911, she was in a relationship with the critic and poet T.E. Hulme, but he would not marry a divorcee. He was killed on the Western Front in 1917.

By 1909, Gilbert Kibblewhite was working in the NSW Public Service. At some stage, he left Sydney and found lodgings at 58 Jolimont St., Jolimont. From there, he moved back to Sydney and enlisted for the war at the Sydney Town Hall on 30 September 1915. He was sent for training to the Holdsworthy Army Barracks and placed in the 1st Australian Field Artillery, 14th Reinforcements. It was a Howitzer Battalion and he took on the role of gunner. At this time, he was 38 years old, 6' 3/4" tall, and a formidable 178 lbs in weight, with brown hair and blue eyes. On his enlistment form, he described hsi occupation as Commercial Agent.

On 19/7 1916, the new recruits embarked from Sydney on HMAT Orsova, disembarking at Plymouth on 9 October. Here he was taken on strength with the 1st Field Artillery, but on 31 October he was disciplined for an offence at sea. The charge was Disobedience of Orders and he was admonished. On 11 March, 1917, the battalion was sent to France, where Kibblewaite committted another offence, being Absent Without Leave from 1400 hours on 11 January to 14 January. For this, he received 96 hours detention. 

He may have been recalcitrant, but Gilbert Kibblewaite was also heroic. On 25/10/1917, he received a citation for a Military Medal in the battle of Westhoek, during the Third Battle of Ypres.  The citation read: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on the night of 21st/22nd October, near Westhoek, with heavy shellfire. These men constantly patrolled telephone lines where exposed and repaired some and endeavoured under intense barrage fire to open up communications to the rear by lamp. The work of both men was beyond praise and materially assisted the F.O.O. in his duties. His companion in this night of extraordinary hardship and danger was Roger Savage (5898). Both received the Military Medal.

He blotted his record again on 16 April, 1918, when he went AWL for six days, from 12th to 18th April.. For this he was courtmartialled and received 42 days detention.

Gilbert Kibblewhite was returned to Australia on 31 May, 1919. During his time in England he and Ethel may have negotiated either a separation or divorce. Whether he was divorced or not, he married Ethel Crowe at Mosman in 1919, but left to return to England on 23 February, 1920, on board the Orsova.Ethel Curtis Kibblewaite never married again, but moved back to West Sussex. She died there in 1947. Gilbert Kibblewaite also died in Sussex, aged 68, in July, 1945.