[2] On 28 August, on account of his previous military experience, he was promoted to the rank of acting sergeant, and this was confirmed on 1 September.

Gordon, with the rest of 3rd Brigade, sailed from Lemnos on 24 April 1915,[6] landing at Anzac Cove at Gallipoli early the following day.

[6] On 20 August Gordon was invalided out of Galliopi,[6] and was admitted to the New Zealand Stationary Hospital at Port Said, Egypt, on the 24th suffering from enteric fever.

[9] On 26 April 1917 he applied to join the Australian Flying Corps,[10] and on 1 May was appointed a second lieutenant in the AIF, allotted to the AFC.

[12] However, on 21 June Gordon embarked aboard HMAT Suevic (A29) at Melbourne, and sailed for England, arriving at Liverpool on 26 August.

[11] On 4 September Gordon was posted to the AFC Depot at Halton Camp, and on 28 December was appointed a flying officer (observer).

[1] The next day Major-General John Salmond, Commander of the RAF in the Field, authorized his recommendation for the award of the Military Cross.

[17] Staton and Gordon shared another victory with Captain Thomas L. Purdom and Lieutenant Percival Chambers on 21 April.

[2][23] Gordon died on 11 December 1978 at the Daw Park Repatriation Hospital after a long illness, being Australia's last surviving First World War ace.