Ferndale, Gilgandra, NSW
587
20th Battalion
Buried Rookwood Cenetery, Commemorated Gilgandra Cemetery
RTA 5 April 1919
Private Oliver JARVIS 587
Oliver Jarvis was a 29 year old clerk when he enlisted in Sydney on the 16th March 1915. He was born at Snowtown South Australia and on his medical examination he was described as 5’9”; 153lbs (69kgs); fair complexion, brown hair, blue eyes and good vision. He stated he had had no previous service and after training at Liverpool he embarked on the A35 ‘Berrima’ with the 20th Battalion bound for Alexandria. The 20th Battalion landed at Anzac Cove on the 22nd August 1915 and was responsible for the defence of Russell’s Top until its withdrawal on the 20th December 1915.
Private Jarvis was assigned to the 2nd Machine Gun Company and arrived in France in March 1916. The first battle on the Western Front his unit would face was Pozieres and from then on it was involved in most major battles throughout the war. In 1918, when the units were reorganised he became part of the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion.
His service record shows he had no sickness or admissions to hospital, so the only time away from the Western Front was when he had a period of leave in England in November 1917.
In January 1919 he left France for England and returned home on the ‘Warwickshire’ on the 5th April 1919.
He was issued the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Oliver took up the property ‘Claverton’, Balladooran after the war and married Ivy Matthews. They had 2 children, Gordon Jarvis and a daughter but Ivy died at age 30 years in 1926.
Oliver enlisted in WW2 with the Garrison Battalion but he was discharged due to ill-health and he died 12 October 1942 and is buried in Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney. Ivy is buried in Gilgandra Cemetery and the headstone commemorates Oliver who is buried in Sydney and their son, Gordon who was killed in action in 1942 in Singapore.
