{"id":6016,"date":"2025-10-20T08:51:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T08:51:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/?page_id=6016"},"modified":"2025-12-31T13:21:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T13:21:16","slug":"gerald-a-birkett","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wwii\/creighton\/gerald-a-birkett\/","title":{"rendered":"Gerald A. Birkett"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-6016\" data-postid=\"6016\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-6016 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n                    <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_cuzr670 tb_first tf_w\">\n                        <div class=\"row_inner col_align_top tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col4-2 tb_izvx670 first\">\n                    <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_bryl670   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <h2><strong>Key Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Name: <\/strong><\/span><strong>Gerald\u00a0 Anthony Birkett<\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>DoB:<\/strong> 03\/09\/1919 Carlisle<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Regt: <\/strong><\/span>Royal Corps of Signals, Hong Kong Signal Company<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>DoD:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 08\/12\/1941\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Commemorated: SAI WAN MEMORIAL<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\">Hong Kong\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Academic Career<\/strong>: Creighton School 1931-1933<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: medium;\"><strong>Other:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Biographical Information<\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                    <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col4-2 tb_jhjq670 last\">\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_efrs247 tf_w\">\n                        <div class=\"row_inner col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tf_box tf_rel\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col-full tb_d4fy247 first\">\n                    <!-- module accordion -->\n<div  class=\"module module-accordion tb_9ske247 \" data-behavior=\"accordion\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n    \n    <ul class=\"ui module-accordion   gray\">\n            <li class=\"builder-accordion-active\">\n            <div class=\"accordion-title tf_rel\">\n                <a href=\"#acc-9ske247-0\" class=\"tb_title_accordion\" aria-controls=\"acc-9ske247-0-content\" aria-expanded=\"true\">\n                                                            Family Background                <\/a>\n            <\/div><!-- .accordion-title -->\n            <div id=\"acc-9ske247-0-content\" data-id=\"acc-9ske247-0\" aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"accordion-content tf_clearfix\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_subrow themify_builder_sub_row tf_w col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tb_8pln247\">\n                <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column sub_column tb_pjv7247 first\">\n                    <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_xjcn247   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <p><strong>Family Background:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Gerald had three older brothers and a sister and one younger brother. His three oldest siblings had been born in India. His father was a career soldier who had served 22 years in the army mainly in India, he had married a Swedish girl Ann Norah Matilda Janson in November 1903 in Allahabad. Gerald\u2019s father Alfred Nicholson Birkett had been born in Workington and the family returned to live in Cumberland when they left India. Gerald and his brothers George and Allan were all born in Carlisle. George died as a baby. His brother William Edward was also in the Royal Corps of Signals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gerald\u2019s paternal grandfather had run a successful shoemaker\u2019s business on Wilson Street in Workington. Alfred was the youngest of eight children his two eldest brothers became solicitors.<\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <\/div><!-- .accordion-content -->\n        <\/li>\n            <li>\n            <div class=\"accordion-title tf_rel\">\n                <a href=\"#acc-9ske247-1\" class=\"tb_title_accordion\" aria-controls=\"acc-9ske247-1-content\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n                                                            Academic Record                <\/a>\n            <\/div><!-- .accordion-title -->\n            <div id=\"acc-9ske247-1-content\" data-id=\"acc-9ske247-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"accordion-content tf_hide tf_clearfix\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_subrow themify_builder_sub_row tf_w col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tb_qpte247\">\n                <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column sub_column tb_qslb247 first\">\n                    <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_0ykd247   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <p><strong>Academic Record: Bishop Godwin PS. 1931-33 Creighton School for Boys<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u00a0<\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <\/div><!-- .accordion-content -->\n        <\/li>\n            <li>\n            <div class=\"accordion-title tf_rel\">\n                <a href=\"#acc-9ske247-2\" class=\"tb_title_accordion\" aria-controls=\"acc-9ske247-2-content\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n                                                            War Record                <\/a>\n            <\/div><!-- .accordion-title -->\n            <div id=\"acc-9ske247-2-content\" data-id=\"acc-9ske247-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"accordion-content tf_hide tf_clearfix\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_subrow themify_builder_sub_row tf_w col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tb_b254247\">\n                <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column sub_column tb_g45w247 first\">\n                    <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_ccj2247   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <p><strong>War Service<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>Gerald left the Creighton School in 1933 and joined the Corps in the spring of 1934 aged 14, obviously wanting to be a career soldier like his father. He followed his older brother William and joined the Royal Corps of Signals. He joined \u2018F\u2019 company, Training Battalion at Catterick Garrison. He finished his training 3 years later in September 1937 and was posted to 2<sup>nd<\/sup> Divisional Signals in Aldershot and later (precise date unknown) he was posted to Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>The Japanese attacked Hong Kong on the same day that they attacked Pearl Harbour (8<sup>th<\/sup> Dec 1941). Gerald along with another 49 men from the Hong Kong Signal Corps was listed as a casualty on Christmas Day 1941, and the CWGC gives his date of death as 8\/12\/1941 the first day that the Japanese attacked. The Hong Kong Signal Corps was under the command of Major Leonard Hayes. The corps consisted of 7 officers and 177 men. Nick Metcalfe states that \u2018<em>There is no record in the war diary to confirm exactly when or how he died. His body was later found by\u00a0Chaplain H. L. O. Davis and buried near St. Albert\u2019s convent, which was on Hong Kong island on the plain at the foot of Mt Nicholson. In the consolidation of graves after the war his was not found, hence his commemoration on the Sai Wan Memorial. If he did die on 8 December it must have been in an air raid because the Japanese weren\u2019t on the island until several days later (they attacked Kowloon first<\/em>).\u2019<\/p>\n<p>It therefore seems likely that a list of all casualties was made on 25\/12\/1941 and that Gerald died between the 8<sup>th<\/sup> and the 25<sup>th<\/sup> of December.<\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <\/div><!-- .accordion-content -->\n        <\/li>\n            <li>\n            <div class=\"accordion-title tf_rel\">\n                <a href=\"#acc-9ske247-3\" class=\"tb_title_accordion\" aria-controls=\"acc-9ske247-3-content\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n                                                            Other                <\/a>\n            <\/div><!-- .accordion-title -->\n            <div id=\"acc-9ske247-3-content\" data-id=\"acc-9ske247-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"accordion-content tf_hide tf_clearfix\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_subrow themify_builder_sub_row tf_w col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tb_hez9247\">\n                <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column sub_column tb_7j5q247 first\">\n                    <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_ko31247   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <p><strong>Other: When at school, address was 20, Currock Road\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <\/div><!-- .accordion-content -->\n        <\/li>\n            <li>\n            <div class=\"accordion-title tf_rel\">\n                <a href=\"#acc-9ske247-4\" class=\"tb_title_accordion\" aria-controls=\"acc-9ske247-4-content\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n                                                            Sources                <\/a>\n            <\/div><!-- .accordion-title -->\n            <div id=\"acc-9ske247-4-content\" data-id=\"acc-9ske247-4\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"accordion-content tf_hide tf_clearfix\">\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_subrow themify_builder_sub_row tf_w col_align_top tb_col_count_1 tb_7ain247\">\n                <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column sub_column tb_yhbi247 first\">\n                    <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_6um9247   \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n        <p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nick Metcalfe<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/royalsignalsoperationalawards.com\/2019\/05\/06\/hong-kong-signal-company-update\/\">https:\/\/royalsignalsoperationalawards.com\/2019\/05\/06\/hong-kong-signal-company-update\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Creighton Register<\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <\/div><!-- .accordion-content -->\n        <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n\n<\/div><!-- \/module accordion -->        <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Information Name: Gerald\u00a0 Anthony Birkett\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 DoB: 03\/09\/1919 Carlisle Regt: Royal Corps of Signals, Hong Kong Signal Company DoD:\u00a0 08\/12\/1941\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Commemorated: SAI WAN MEMORIAL Hong Kong\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Academic Career: Creighton School 1931-1933 Other:\u00a0 Biographical Information Family Background Family Background: Gerald had three older brothers and a sister and one younger brother. His three oldest siblings [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":6001,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6016","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6016"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6338,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6016\/revisions\/6338"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk\/warmemorials\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}