Gordon VC Rest Area
Sutton Forest, NSW
Hume Highway (A31)
At a Glance
About
The Gordon VC Rest Area sits alongside the northbound Hume Highway at Sutton Forest, marking stop 5 of 20 on the Remembrance Driveway. Travellers who have just departed the Keith Payne VC Rest Area will find this a well-placed pause before continuing on to the Mackey VC Rest Area further north. The site is open around the clock and equipped with toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, a shelter, and dedicated truck parking — making it a practical stop for heavy vehicle drivers, caravanners, and families alike. This rest area honours Private James Hannah Gordon of the 2/31st Infantry Battalion, 7th Australian Division, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions near Jezzine, Lebanon, on the night of 9–10 July 1941 during the Syria–Lebanon campaign against Vichy French forces. Gordon was born on 7 March 1907 at Rockingham in Western Australia, the son of a farmer who went on to serve as a state parliamentarian. When he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in April 1940, Gordon — then in his early thirties — understated his age and, perhaps with a quiet sense of humour, listed his middle name as 'Heather' rather than Hannah. He was posted to the 2/31st Infantry Battalion, a unit raised in Queensland and Victoria. During the action at Jezzine, his company was pinned down by intense machine-gun and grenade fire. On his own initiative, Gordon moved forward alone through the fire, closing on the nearest machine-gun post before engaging it at close quarters. His actions that night under sustained enemy fire demonstrated the kind of individual courage the Remembrance Driveway exists to acknowledge. Gordon lived until 24 July 1986, long enough to see his service recognised and remembered. Stopping here along the A31 is a chance to sit quietly with that story before the highway draws you north again.
Victoria Cross Recipient
Private James Hannah Gordon VC
2/31st Infantry Battalion
James Hannah Gordon was born on 7 March 1907 at Rockingham, Western Australia, the son of a farmer who served as a state parliamentarian. On enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in April 1940, Gordon understated his age and gave his middle name as 'Heather' rather than Hannah. He was posted to the 2/31st Infantry Battalion, an infantry unit formed in Queensland and Victoria as part of the 7th Australian Division.
On the night of 9–10 July 1941 near Jezzine in Lebanon, during the Syria–Lebanon campaign against Vichy French forces, Gordon's company was held up by intense machine-gun and grenade fire. On his own initiative, Gordon crept forward alone through a hail of bullets and grenades until he reached close quarters with the nearest machine-gun post. He then leapt to his feet and charged the position from the front, killing its four crew members with his bayonet. His action demoralised the enemy in the sector and enabled his company to advance and take the position. His was one of only two Victoria Crosses awarded to Australians during the Syrian campaign.
After the war, Gordon became a regular soldier and served until 1968, achieving the rank of Warrant Officer Class II. He died on 24 July 1986.
Born 7 March 1907, Rockingham, WA. Died 24 July 1986.
References
Remembrance Driveway →
Stop 5 of 20 along the Remembrance Driveway
View all 20 stops
- Sir Roden Cutler VC Rest Area
- Partridge VC Rest Area Southbound
- Kenna VC Rest Area
- Keith Payne VC Rest Area
- Gordon VC Rest Area
- Mackey VC Rest Area
- Kingsbury VC Rest Area
- Chowne VC Rest Area
- Derrick VC Rest Area
- French VC Rest Area
- Kibby VC Rest Area
- Edmondson VC Rest Area
- Gratwick VC Rest Area
- Gurney VC Rest Area
- Badcoe VC Rest Area
- Wheatley VC Rest Area
- Anderson VC Rest Area
- Middleton VC Rest Area
- Newton VC Rest Area
- Edwards VC Rest Area
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