GUNNELL, John Leslie
| Service Number: | 3302 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 53rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia, 2 April 1871 |
| Home Town: | Woollahra, Woollahra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | School Teacher |
| Died: | Pneumonia, Military Hospital, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England , 7 January 1917, aged 45 years |
| Cemetery: |
Tidworth Military Cemetery, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Parramatta NSW Public School Teachers KIA Honour Roll, Parramatta NSW Public School Teachers Who Served Abroard Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 3302, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 3302, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 7 Jan 1917: | Involvement Corporal, 3302, 53rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3302 awm_unit: 53rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-01-07 |
Help us honour John Leslie Gunnell's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 7th January…… John Leslie Gunnell was born at Mudgee, New South Wales on 2nd April, 1871.
He married Mary Gertrude on 5th July, 1899 at Emmaville, Johnson Street, Annandale, Sydney, NSW. They had the following children – Dorothy Keith Gunnell (born 1900); John Charles Gunnell (born 1901) & Kathleen Mai Gunnell (born 1907).
Mary Gertrude Gunnell, wife of John Leslie Gunnell, died on 19th December, 1912 in Sydney, NSW from diphtheria.
John Leslie Gunnell enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 15th July, 1915 as a 44 year old, widower, School Teacher from Duxford Street, Paddington, New South Wales.
He signed a Statutory Declaration at Liverpool, NSW on 25th October, 1915 “….do solemnly and sincerely declare that I am a widower and my three children are all under the age of sixteen years.”
Private John Leslie Gunnell, Service number 3302, embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on HMAT Euripides (A14) on 2nd November, 1915 with the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 11th Reinforcements.
On 14th February, 1916 Private Gunnell was transferred to 53rd Battalion from 2nd Battalion. He was taken on strength of 53rd Battalion on 16th February, 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir.
He was appointed Temporary Corporal with 53rd Battalion from 24th March, 1916.
Temporary Corporal John Leslie Gunnell was promoted to Corporal from 8th May, 1916 with 53rd Battalion while posted at Ismalia.
On 19th June, 1916 Corporal Gunnell embarked from Alexandria to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force). He disembarked at Marseilles, France on 28th June, 1916.
Corporal John Leslie Gunnell was wounded in action in France on 10th August, 1916. He was admitted to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 15th August, 1916 with G.S.W. to Leg & Hip then transferred on 16th August, 1916 to Ambulance Train. Corporal Gunnell was admitted to 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne, France on 16th August, 1916. He was invalided to England on 18th August, 1916 on Hospital Ship Jan Breydel.
He was admitted to 2nd Northern General Hospital, Becketts Park, Leeds, England on 19th August, 1916 with G.S.W. Left Hip. He was discharged to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire, England on 14th September, 1916. Corporal Gunnell proceeded on Furlough from Perham Downs on 15th September, 1916.
On 24th September, 1916 Corporal Gunnell reported from Furlough to Milbank Hospital. He was transferred to Harefield Hospital on 5th October, 1916. The Hospital Admissions form recorded he was admitted to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, Middlesex on 5th October, 1916 due to “injuries & shock from motor accident.” Corporal Gunnell was discharged from 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, Middlesex on 7th October, 1916 to Perham Downs.
Corporal Gunnell reported back to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire on 9th October, 1916. He was medically re-classified as B2 b (Temporarily unfit for General Service or Home Service).
He was admitted to Delhi Hospital, Wiltshire on 31st October, 1916 with Influenza. The Hospital Admissions form recorded he was admitted to Military Hospital, Wiltshire on 29th October, 1916 with Influenza & was discharged on 8th November, 1916. He was marched in to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs on 10th November, 1916. Corporal Gunnell was placed on Supernumerary List on 13th November, 1916 (states 3rd Echelon, B.E.F. Rouen).
On 21st December, 1916 Corporal Gunnell was admitted to Military Hospital, Tidworth, Wiltshire – seriously ill with Pneumonia. The Hospital Admissions form recorded he was admitted to Military Hospital, Tidworth on 19th December, 1916 with Broncho Pneumonia.
Corporal John Leslie Gunnell died at 1.15 am on 7th January, 1917 at Military Hospital, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England from Pneumonia.
He was buried in Tidworth Military Cemetery, Wiltshire, England where 172 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/g---ha.html
Click images to start slideshow.