Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Alexander and Mary ELLIOTT. Numulgi, Lismore, New South Wales.

Pte. J. Elliott, No. 5824 25th Battalion. He enlisted on May 13, 1916, sailed on Oc tober 22, and landed in England on July 11, 1917..\ Going over to France at the end of March he was wounded three times. He died of wounds June 11, 1918.

From Francois Somme

Pte 5824 John Henry Elliott,
25th Australian Infantry Battalion,
A Company, 7th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division
 
The Somme, fields of unspeakable horrors, fields of death, putrid quagmire of mud, this is what these fields were today peaceful and silent for a whole generation of young men who, here, fought with the highest bravery and despite the pains, despite the despair that reigned here more than a hundred years ago, the poppy red fields were also grounds on which was seen the courage, the tenacity, the determination, the faith and the camaraderie which united these young men so courageous and who, in brotherhood, for what was right, in the name of peace and freedom, stood tall and proud in the trenches and under the hurricanes of fire, under the disastrous howls of the shells, watched over each other and found in each other the strength and the courage to hold on and go over the top to the sound of the whistles that still resound where these young boys gave their today and who today, in silence, solemn, stand in tight rows behind the shadows of their white graves on which are inscribed, immortalized for eternity, the names and the history of these heroes to whom we owe so much and on whom I will always watch with respect and care to keep them in the light so that they will never be forgotten, so that they can live forever.

Today, it is with the utmost respect and with the deepest gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these young men, of one of my boys of the Somme who, in France gave his today for our tomorrow.I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Private number 5824 John Henry Elliott who fought in the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, A Company, 7th Brigade, 2nd Australian Division of the Australian Imperial Force, and who died of his wounds 105 years ago ,on June 11, 1918 at the age of 32 on the Somme front.

John Henry Elliott was born in 1896 in Exeter, New South Wales, Australia, and was the son of Alexander and Mary Elliott, of Numulgi,Richmond River, Lismore, New South Wales, and had one sister, Alice Mary Elliott.He was educated at Exeter State School and after graduation worked as a dairy farmer until the outbreak of the war.

John enlisted on May 13, 1916 at Lismore, New South Wales, in the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, 16th Reinforcement. The 25th was raised at Ennoggera, a suburb of Brisbane, in March 1915, and was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Paton. After a training period of five months, John embarked with his unit from Brisbane, Queensland, on board HMAT A36 Boonah on October 21, 1916 and sailed for England.
On January 10, 1917, John arrived in England and was disembarked at Plymouth then marched to Rollestone where he joined the 7th Training Battalion for a period of extensive training on Salisbury Plain where the men underwent war exercises such as trench attacks and captures of fortified points but also an important period in bayonet and hand-to-hand combat, which hinted at the horrific and brutal nature of the war on the battlefields of northern France. After five months in England and ready to join the trenches, John proceeded overseas to France on June 25, 1917.

On June 26, 1917, after a quick journey without any event to report on the English Channel, John finally arrived in France and was disembarked in Le Havre where he joined the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot, marched out to unit on July 16 and was taken on strength in the 25th Battalion on July 18 in a tent camp in Bapaume (Pas-De-Calais) where they followed a period of exercises including tactical exercises in open warfare, small attacks with live ammunition on field firing range as well as night attacks then on July 28, marched to Miraumont from where they embarked by train for Bavinchove then after a short period of rest at Renescure, moved into billets at Coin Perdu, near St Omer, where they remained until September 11.

On September 12, 1917, John and the 25th Battalion left Coin Perdu for Steenvoorde then marched to Winnipeg Camp, Reninghelst, in the Ypres Salient. Less than a week later, on September 18, they joined the front line at Bellewaerde Ridge where they relieved the 1st/20th Battalion of the London Regiment and the next day moved to Westhoek but, during the day, on 20 September, while the 25th Battalion took part in the Battle of Menin Road as part of the 2nd Division's first wave, John was injured and immediately evacuated to the 7th Australian Field Ambulance suffering from shell wounds to his legs and hands but his wounds were considered superficial and he returned to his unit on September 22 then less than two weeks later, on October 4 , the battalion was involved in the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge.

The battle of Broodseinde Ridge, east of Ypres on 4 October 1917 was a vast operation launched by British General Sir Herbert "Daddy" Plumer, commander of the British Second Army. It involved twelve divisions, including those of both the 1st and 2nd Anzac Corps armed with Lewis guns advancing on a front of thirteen kilometres. The attack was planned on the same basis as its predecessors; a step-by-step approach of limited advances preceded by heavy artillery bombardment. Once each attack had obtained its objective, the attacking troops were to be protected by further barrages whilst they consolidated their positions.The battle was supposed to begin shortly before dawn at 6am yet the Germans had also chosen that same morning to launch an aggressive defensive strike. Forty minutes before the planned allied assault, the Australians, who formed the vital centre of Plumer’s twelve Division offensive were unexpectedly assailed by a mortar barrage which fell on the shell-holes where they were nervously waiting in the pre-dawn drizzle. It was a devastating stealth assault and twenty officers and a seventh of the 1st Anzac Corps were killed or wounded before their own attack had even begun.

Despite the unexpected early onslaught, the Australians advanced and forged on through the barrage from the German 212th Regiment. Despite some very savage hand-to-hand fighting around enemy concrete pillboxes, the allied forces eventually gained all their objectives on the ridge. In the end they captured a total of 6,000 German prisoners and drove the enemy in front of them back more than 1,000 metres. Along the whole line the attack had been successful, thereby giving the British their first glimpse of the Flemish lowlands since May 1915. It was a battle that the official Australian War Historian Charles Bean noted as "the most complete success so far won by the British Army in France."However, it was not without great loss on both sides; the Australian divisions had suffered a devastating 6,500 casualties and German General Erich Ludendorff wrote of 4 October 1917 that "we came through it only with enormous losses." Der Weltkrieg, the official German war history, similarly deeply lamented "the black day of October 4th."

Unfortunately, it was during the first day of the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge, on October 4, 1917 that John, for the second time, was wounded by shrapnel in the shoulder, head and upper chest. He was very quickly evacuated and admitted to the 3rd Field Ambulance, transferred the next day to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station then to the 7th Canadian General Hospital. On October 11, needing more care, he was transferred to England on board "Ville De Liege" and the following day, admitted to the 1st War Hospital in Rednal, near Birmingham and a month later, on November 30, was sent to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital where he finished recovering from his injuries.

On December 27, 1917, after having fully recovered, John was granted a furlough then on January 10, 1918, marched for the 4th Command Depot at Hurdcott and the following month, on February 21, joined the Overseas training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill for a period of intensive training then on March 20, proceeded overseas for France, for a last trip from which he would not return.

On March 21, 1918, while the German army unleashed the storm of its last offensive aimed at breaking through the French and British lines, John arrived in France for the last time and was disembarked at Le Havre where he joined the Australian Infantry Base Depot and returned to the 25th Battalion on March 25 at Rossignol Camp, near Le Bizet, in Flanders, where they remained until April 1.

On April 2, 1918, the 25th Battalion was relieved by the 11th Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, the 8th Battalion of the Border Regiment as well as by the 9th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and left the Rossignol Camp for Kortepyp from where they embarked by motorized vehicles for Strazeele and on April 6, arrived in the small village of Hangest-Sur-Somme, in the Somme department to stop the Germans who were aiming to take the vital rail junction of Amiens.

Very quickly, John and the 25th Battalion set off and marched through Longpre, Poulainville, Allonville, Daours, and on April 7,arrived at St Lawrence Farm, near Bresle where they relieved the 27th Australian Infantry Battalion and then on April 26, one day after the courageous and victorious counterattack of the Australians led by General Sir John Monash at Villers-Bretonneux, joined the front line at Ribemont where the 25th was placed in support then on April 30, relieved the 8th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment at Frechencourt and remained here for a very short time, until May 1st.

On May 2, 1918, the 25th Battalion left Frechencourt and marched for Rivery, very close to Amiens, for a period of rest and training then on June 5, joined the front line at Morlancourt where unfortunately, six days later, on June 11, 1918, John met his fate and was seriously injured by a shell in his back and legs. He was immediately evacuated from the front line and admitted to the 5th Australian Field Ambulance where he had both his legs amputated and died a few hours later. He was 32.

Today, John Henry Elliott rests in peace alongside his friends, comrades and brothers in arms at Querrieu British Cemetery, Somme, and his grave bears the following inscription: "Peace perfect peace with loved ones far away."

The circumstances which led to John's death were described by some of his comrades as follows:
"I knew Elliott very well. He belonged to A Company.He was a dairy farmer at home.We were attacking late that night and during our advance a shell hit him and took both legs off.This was about 9:30pm at Morlancourt on the 11th.The stretcher bearers carried him back and he was buried in the Military Cemetery close by.He lived on the Richmond River,New South Wales." (Private number 5593 Frederick Charles Hoare, 25th Australian Infantry Battalion, B Company.)

"Elliott (A Company) and I were wounded by the same shell at Morlancourt during the hopover about the way to the objective on night of June 10th.One of the stretcher bearers who picked me up told me afterwards that he was badly wounded in both legs.He was conscious and seemed the most cheerful of the lot.Busy and Sweeney were killed by the same shell.I was No 2 on the gun and Elliott was in the same section." (Private Watson,25th Australian Infantry Battalion, A Company.)

John Henry Elliott had two brothers who, like him, fought with courage during the great war. The first of them was Private number 3359 William Samuel Elliott who served in the 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion. Unfortunately, William was killed in action on April 24, 1918 at the age of 34 in Villers-Bretonneux and rests today in Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, Somme. His grave bears the following inscription: "Peace perfect peace with loved ones far away."

John's second brother was Private Number 5823 Frank Elliott who served with the 25th Australian Infantry Battalion. Frank survived the war and returned to Australia on 11 December 1918 and died peacefully in 1960.

John, driven by heroic courage, it was with honor and determination that you answered the call of duty alongside your brothers who together, with you, with confidence and pride, decided to do what was right, and with conviction, with hopes, followed you to do their part on the battlefields of the great war and, pushed forward by an unfailing camaraderie, by the strongest bond of brotherhood, fought with their heads held high to make peace prevail, to bringing through the darkness a new light, and watching over each other, in the trenches, behind the parapets, stood tall to preserve our humanity, to save what was left of good in a world that sank into madness and through the poppies, wrote history and by their acts of courage, made their country proud, of the whole Australian nation which, strong and young, stood behind a whole generation of young men and women who, in in the mud, in the blood, in the cold, through the barbed wire, in the field hospitals, served side by side armed with valiant hearts guided by a spirit of camaraderie, of unity, of common effort in the face of adversity ,of perseverance,of sacrifice,a legendary spirit called ANZAC,a spirit who gathered and pushed forward an entire generation to do more than was asked of them,a spirit who was born on the beaches and bloodstained hills of Gallipoli,a spirit that the brave Diggers carried in their hearts under the firestorms of Fromelles then in the nightmarish abyss of the fields of the Somme, Pozieres, Amiens, Flers, Gueudecourt and Villers-Bretonneux where so many of them fell and where each of them fought fiercely to save the people of France, to see again the happiness and the smiles of the children of the villages of northern France who remember with emotion the faces, the courage of the young Australian soldiers who sacrificed and did so much for us and who, with tenderness, were welcomed, adopted and loved like our own sons who risked their lives day and night in the trenches and lived in appalling conditions with the dead bodies of their friends and brothers who fell in front of the machine guns. Among the rats, fear in the pit of their stomachs, they stood upright, they remained tall and strong and, even in the face of death, under hurricanes of shells, they never retreated, even after what they endured and what they saw through their eyes of innocent young men, crushed in an unspeakable fury that drowned the battlefields in madness and despair, they found in each other the strength, the reason to hold on and to live, to fight and it is for each other that they found the meaning of their lives, of their efforts, of the blood and tears shed but also of their sacrifices that they paid, not only for the men who stood their sides but also so that their children, their loved ones and future generations can live in a world without war and side by side, alongside their brothers in arms, gave their all so that we have the chance and the privilege to have a tomorrow then, following their hearts and their brothers, they climbed the wooden ladders, came out of the bayonet trenches forward towards the horizon line and after a few steps forward, in silence, without words, fell into the eternal shroud of poppies on which their white graves stand today, telling us who these heroes were and what they did for us, they allow us to understand the story of a whole generation of men whose memory I will always keep strong and alive and over whom I would always watch with love and respect so that they would never be forgotten, so that their names would live on forever and this is what I would explain to my little boy who bears with honor the name of a young Digger who fell on the battlefields of the Somme, in the hope that one day he will also perpetuate the story of these exceptional men who will always be loved as our sons.

Thank you so much John, for all you and your brothers did for my country whose respect, gratitude and love will be yours forever. At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember them.