KEYS X 2 - WRITING DESK

This cabinet was purchased from Dom Marche of West Perth in 1925 as a gift from the Returned Servicemen's League, Armadale Branch to Gordon Devereux for his service to the branch as is honary secretary between 1921 and 1923.
Gordon was born in Suffolk England in 1890 and migrated to Western Australia, age 21 with his half brother Ted Waterton and Ted's mother May. On arrival the brothers moved to Harvey.
In august 1915 he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force, first joining the 28th Battalion before being trasfered to the 51st Battalion on his arrival in Egypt. In 1916 the 51st spent three months in a defensive position along the Sue Canal before being redelpoyd to Europe. Gorodon saw active service in Belgium including attacks on Monquet Farm near Pozieres in August 1916. During this time Gordon suffered a hernia and spent over a year in Britain undergoing various training course including signals training. During this time he met and married Ellie Maud Young.
In 1918 he rejoined the 51st Battalion in France. In August 1918 Gordon was part of the 51st attacks on German positions near Erinehem. He was tasked with running messages between units and received a Military Medal for his efforts during heavy German shelling of allied positions. On 18 August Gordon was caught in a gass attack and was hospitalised and eventually evacuated to England for treatment. He soon recovered and was granted leave to spend time in England learning business skills and to await the birth of Joan, Gordon and Ellie's first child.
Gordon, Ellie and Joan returned to Western Australia in 1920. The family soon settled in Armadale where Gordon joined the local branch of the RSL. Gordon would go on to play a very active role in the local community. Not only did he serve on the RSL committee for many years he was was the President of the Armadale Soccer Club, founding member of the Armadale Bowls Club chairman of the Unemployment Relief Fund during the depression, President of the Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital Committee amd seved on the Armadale-Kelmscott Co-Op Committee for 20 years. in 1926/27 Gordon ran a film business showing silent movies at the Armadale Hall. Ellie would play the piano during the films.
Tragedy struck the family in 1941 when Gordon and Ellies's son Eric was killed in action while serving as a sailor aboard HMAS Syney which was sunk of the WA cost by the German raiding ship the Kormoran.
Gordon died in 1970 age 80. Ellie passed away in 1986 age 92.
This cabinet was made by Don Marche of West Perth. The makers mark also includes that the cabinet was made by 'European Labour Only'.