Gordon Fink was born 21 November 1884 at South Yarra, Victoria, to Kate (née Isaacs) and The Hon. Theodore Fink, a leading solicitor, politician and newspaper proprietor. Gordon attended Grange and Cumloden schools, graduated in law from Melbourne University and was a lieutenant in the Victorian Field Artillery. After a brief period in Malaya, in 1911 Gordon took up farming with a university chum, Carl Pirani* in Western Australia, near another friend, Harry Leake.

Like many men, the three enlisted together - in September 1914 in the 16th Battalion - hence Fink’s rank as Private (No. 674), when he could have easily sought an officer’s commission. They embarked Melbourne on HMAT A40 Ceramic and left Albany, WA, on 31 December. After arriving in Egypt on 31 January 1915, the battalion - part of Colonel John Monash’s 4th Infantry Brigade - trained at Heliopolis, near Cairo – from where Gordon wrote a letter praising the planned city’s beauty and noting, “As far as I know, there is no chance of getting [into] a scrap in this part of the world.”

They landed at ANZAC Cove late in the afternoon of 25 April 1915 and a week later the 16th Battalion was thrown into the attack on ‘Bloody Angle’, suffering many casualties. On Sunday evening 2 May, he was acting as observer to A Company Major Mansbridge, who later wrote to Gordon’s father, “Your son … requested permission to assist the ammunition carriers … I gave my assent, with the condition to be careful, and I never saw the poor boy alive again. No man was braver in the Company; in fact, sometimes it bordered on recklessness, and I was continually warning him.” He concluded, “my Company alone at the roll call, only mustered 28 out of a total of 219.” Pte Harry Leake, recovering from wounds in hospital in Alexandria, described how “there was one place where they had to go through a perfect hail of bullets, and Gordon was the only one who would face it. He got across safely with two or three boxes, and was then unfortunately shot through the head. Death was evidently instantaneous.”

Months before he was officially notified by the AIF, Gordon’s father was advised of his son’s fate by John Monash - through his wife, Victoria (see attached letter). Although his body was recovered some weeks later, Gordon has no known grave. Aged 30 at his death, Private Gordon Fink’s name is engraved on Panel 53 of the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey.

Gordon Fink’s younger brother enlisted in the AIF in 1916: Gunner Thorold Fink.

*Pte Carl Pirani died in Australia on 26 April 1918: see his separate entry.

Gordon Fink was born 21 November 1884 at ‘Broceliande’, South Yarra, Victoria, to Kate (née Isaacs) and The Hon. Theodore Fink, who was a leading solicitor, politician and newspaper proprietor. Gordon attended the Grange and Cumloden schools and graduated in law from Melbourne University. He was a lieutenant in the CMF Victorian Field Artillery from 1907 to 1909 and later spent time in the Malay States. Gordon returned to Australia in 1911 and took up farming with his university chum, Carl Pirani* in the Kununoppin district of Western Australia, near another friend, Harry Leake.

Like many men, the three enlisted together - he at Blackboy Hill, on 28 September 1914 - in the 16th Infantry Battalion, hence Fink’s rank as a Private (No. 674), when he could have easily sought an officer’s commission. After training in Melbourne, they embarked on HMAT A40 Ceramic on 22 December and left Albany, WA, on 31 December with the 2nd Expeditionary Force.

After arrival in Egypt on 31 January 1915, the battalion - part of Colonel John Monash’s 4th Infantry Brigade - trained at Heliopolis, near Cairo – from where Gordon wrote a letter praising the planned city’s beauty and noting, “As far as I know, there is no chance of getting a scrap in this part of the world.” The brigade left Alexandria in early April 1915 and gathered with the ANZACs at Mudros, on the Greek Island of Lemnos, where they practised landings. They landed at ANZAC late in the afternoon of 25 April 1915 and a week later from Monash Valley, the 16th Battalion was thrown into the attack on Bloody Angle, between Quinn’s Post and Pope’s Hill, in a vain effort to take the high ground - particularly Baby 700 - suffering many casualties.

On Sunday evening 2 May, Gordon was acting as an observer to A Company C.O. Major W. O. Mansbridge, who later wrote to his father, “Your son … requested permission to assist the ammunition carriers … I gave my assent, with the condition to be careful, and I never saw the poor boy alive again. No man was braver in the Company; in fact, sometimes it bordered on recklessness, and I was continually warning him.” He concluded, “my Company alone at the roll call, only mustered 28 out of a total of 219.” Pte Harry Leake, recovering from wounds in hospital in Alexandria, described how “There was one place where they had to go through a perfect hail of bullets, and Gordon was the only one who would face it. He got across safely with two or three boxes, and was then unfortunately shot through the head. Death was evidently instantaneous.” Gordon’s body was recovered some weeks later and identified by his pay book.

Prior to the battle, Colonel Monash had advised his concerns to superiors – to no avail - and afterwards, he was greatly distressed at the waste of life and at what he saw as the professional soldier, Division C.O. General Godley’s attitude of “bumbling through,” with poor or nil planning.
Months before he was officially notified by the AIF, Gordon’s father was unofficially advised of his son’s death by John Monash (through his wife, Victoria Monash – see attached letter). In October 1915, following several letters from the Army advising that Gordon was not a prisoner of the Turks, but still ‘missing’, Theodore Fink wrote to the authorities and subsequently to the Minister for Defence to complain about the poor records administration. He finally received official notification on 21 November. To add to the family’s grief, in 1920 the Army requested they provide text (and pay for) an inscription on Gordon’s headstone – only to learn subsequently that he had no known grave.

Aged 30 at his death, Private Gordon Fink’s name is engraved on Panel 53 of the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey.

Gordon Fink’s younger brother enlisted in the AIF in 1916: Gunner Thorold Fink.

*Pte Carl Pirani died in Australia on 26 April 1918: see his separate entry.

Pte Harry Leake (Methodist) went to the Western Front and was promoted Lieutenant. He returned to Australia on 13 December 1918.