KERSWELL, John Lewis
| Service Number: | 5058 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 11 January 1916, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 33rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, 13 October 1897 |
| Home Town: | Burragorang, Wollondilly, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 7 June 1917, aged 19 years |
| Cemetery: |
Strand Military Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Wallonie, Belgium Strand Military Cemetery Comines-Warneton Arrondissement de Mouscron Hainaut, Belgium, Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 11 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5058, 18th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kyarra embarkation_ship_number: A55 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5058, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kyarra, Sydney | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5058, 33rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5058 awm_unit: 33rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-06-07 |
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John Lewis Kerswell was born 13 October 1897 in Picton, New South Wales, but raised in the Burragorang Valley in the Blue Mountains. His parents were Henry Kerswell and Sabina nee Tolhurst. He joined the AIF on 11 January 1916 and was initially in the 13th Regiment, 18th Battalion. On 29 September 1916 he was transferred to the 33rd Battalion.
On 07 Jun 1917 he was killed on the first day of the Battle of Messines, blown apart by a shell while on trench digging duty for the Engineers. He was buried where he fell, between an old front line and tramway track, about 1¹⁄3 miles South of the village of Messines.
"ROLL OF HONOR. KERSWELL. - Killed in action in France, on the 7th June, 1917, Pte. J. L. Kerswell, aged 19 years, dearly loved second son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Kerswell, Cox's River." - from the Camden News 19 Jul 1917 (nla.gov.au)
"Mr. Harry Kerswell has received the following letters from his late son's (Jack) officers in France: —
France, 19/6/17. — It is with deep regret that I advise the death of your son No. 5058 Pte. John Lewis Kerswell, who was killed in action in the great battle of Messines Ridge. It is due to men of the same calibre as your son that such an overwhelming victory was attained. He was brave and fearless, and went into the fight with the quiet assurance of doing his duty, and he did it nobly and well. Please accept the sincerest sympathy of his comrades and myself in your sad loss. — W. T. Hinton, Capt., O.C. A Comp. 33rd Bat.
France, June 28, 17. — I very much regret that I should have occasion to write to you of the death of your gallant son, No. 5058A, Pte. John Lewis Kerswell. He was killed in action in the battle of Messines on June 7th. His body was buried in the Battalion's cemetery, in Ploegsteert Wood, and his grave has been registered by the Graves Registration Unit. I deeply deplore the death of so valuable a soldier and so excellent a young man. He was one in whom the utmost reliance was always placed; he performed every duty and task in a ready and cheerful manner. In the trenches he was cool, courageous and determined. By his character and disposition he won the affection and esteem of his officers and comrades. We all mourn his death. Officers, non-commission officers, and men all join me in offering you and your family most heartfelt sympathy in your sad bereavement. — Leslie J. Morshead, Lieut. Colonel." - from the Camden News 13 Sep 1917 (nla.gov.au)
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