Gilbert was born on 18th January, 1914, the son of John & Alice. He had two older siblings Frank and Enid. In the electoral registers up to and including 1936 he was listed with his family as living on Main Road, but was likely to have been 1 Chapel Street.
In the summer of 1937 he married Violet Ellen Lusiliana Robinson, who was known in the village as Lucy. In 1939 he was working as a Public service Conductor.
Selby Times & Howden & Goole Advertiser on 5th January, 1945 included a report praising the Hambleton’s Comforts Fund. The article included the draft of some of the letters of thanks they had received, one of which was from Driver G. Thwaites who wrote:
Thank you once again for the Christmas card and p.o. (postal order). After being away so many years it is indeed a pleasure to realise that we are still in your thoughts. May I, on behalf of the other boys out here, express our heartfelt thanks to the folks at home. We think of you all and of our old associations, and hope that it will not be long before we return, to start where we left off. May your Christmas be a happy one and the New Year peaceful. Good luck to all.