LEADING SIGNALMAN GEORGE GILBERT NOURSE 2003 RAN
George Nourse was born in Whyte Yarcowie in South Australia in May 1897 the son of Richard and Selina Nourse. Richard Nourse had passed away in 1910 and George enlisted in the RAN as a Boy 2nd Class on HMAS Tingira in August 1912. He was advanced to Boy 1st Class in May 1913 and to Signal Boy in July of that year. In December he joined the Protected Cruiser HMAS Encounter serving in the cruiser during the recapture of German New Guinea and on patrols off Fiji and Samoa. He was advanced to Ordinary Signalman 2ndClass in May 1914 and to Ordinary Seaman in May 1915.
In June 1915 George undertook advanced training on completion of which he was advanced to Signalman. The rest of his war would be spent on Torpedo Boat Destroyers serving in turn on HMAS Huon, HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Swan. In August 1916, whilst George was on Swan, his older brother Corporal Frank Nourse of the 16th Battalion AIF lost his life. Frank had served on Gallipoli where he had been wounded twice, however his luck would run out at Pozieres, he has no known grave.
Post war George served on the Battle Cruiser HMAS Australia, the Naval College Yacht Franklin and the Light Cruisers HMAS Brisbane and HMAS Melbourne.
George was sentenced to 21 days in Detention whilst on Swan, all suspended and he lost his Good Conduct Badge for six months. In early October on Melbourne, he was disrated to Signalman, but promoted again ten days later, remaining on the ship for another five months. He discharged to shore “End of Engagement” in May 1922.
On discharge he returned to South Australia where in 1928 he was tried and convicted for illegally possessing five corn sacks, but no punishment was recorded. He later moved to Port Lincoln where he worked as a fisherman.
George passed away on his fishing boat on the 25th of June 1943. He had never married and possibly he had led a hard life as the local newspaper reported that he was in his sixties, whereas he had just turned 45. He is buried in Port Lincoln Cemetery. A photo on Ancestry indicates his DVA plate is badly weathered.
