32745
SEARCY, John William
| Service Number: | 237 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 August 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | London, England, 18 August 1892 |
| Home Town: | North Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Civil Engineer |
| Died: | 1983, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 237, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 237, 10th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 237, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 237, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 2 Nov 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 8 Aug 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 237, 10th Infantry Battalion, "The Last Hundred Days" | |
| 18 Sep 1918: | Honoured Military Cross, Breaching the Hindenburg Line - Cambrai / St Quentin Canal, "In the operations newr JEANCOURT on 18th September, 1918, Lt. SEARCY was responsible for the direction of the Battalion. The circumstances of the attack and especially the difficulties of the ground advanced over rendered the skilful performance of these duties of utmost importance. In order to faithfully fulfil his task he fearlessly exposed himself, advancing up to and across our barrage frequently in order to correct direction. His complete fearlessness and indifference to danger was an inspiration to all who saw him, and contributed largely to the morale which carried so few men so long a distance." | |
| 21 Feb 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 10th Infantry Battalion |
WW1
The details provided are taken from the book "Stealth Raiders - a few daring men in 1918" written by Lucas Jordan, published 2017, refer to pages 110, 171, 175 & 283. Prior to the war he was a civil engineer of North Adelaide SA. He enlisted 19th Aug 1914 aged 22 years. He served with the 10th Infantry Battalion rising to the rank of Lieutenant. During his service he was Mentioned in Dispatches. He survived the war, departing the UK for home 23rd Oct 1918. John's memoirs of the war have been donated to the Australian War Memorial, reference PR84/075.
Submitted 31 March 2020 by Maxwell HILL
Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
John William Searcy was born on the 18th of July 1892 in London England. Son of Mrs. Lydia Jane Searcy. John did not have a father which meant his mother had to raise him by herself. In England, John was a civil engineer. This required him to work late at night and get up early on a daily basis.
On the 19th of August 1914, John signed up for the war at the age of 22, while living in North Adelaide. In Adelaide, he lived in North Adelaide. He first started his training in Morphettville with the 10th Infantry Battalion.
After two months of training, he boarded the A11 Ascanius on 20th October 1914 to Egypt, as a Corporal. John was a man who displayed courage and leadership, who led from the front. Considering John was in the 10th Battalion this meant that he would’ve been one of the first boats to actually hit the shore at Gallipoli. His duty was to reclaim the high ground and make it easier for the rest of the troops to get an advantage over the enemy. John was very lucky to survive; he was wounded in battle many times. Wounded in action – 25-29/4/15 in Gallipoli, Sick to the hospital – 24/8/15 – in Malta, Granted 3 weeks sick leave to England from 13/8/19 to 2/9/19. Because of the amount of courage, bravery and leadership that he displayed; he was promoted to lieutenant. When John returned from the war he was granted with a Military Cross for his acts of bravery. John was lucky enough to survive, he boarded ‘In the operations near Jeancourt on 18th September 1918, he was responsible for leading the battalion. In order to successfully complete his task under very difficult circumstances, he fearlessly exposed himself, advancing up to and across the barrage frequently in order to correct direction. His courage was an inspiration to all who saw him and contributed largely to the moral which carried so few men so long a distance.' - Regimental books n.d., A Man Called Searcy, accessed 25 March 2019,
When John arrived back to Adelaide, he taught at cadet school Trinity College in Cambridge for infantry appointment. The diary of his war service was published in 1999 as "A Man Called Searcy".
ANZAC Spirit
ANZAC Spirit is a term that describes a person who displays mateship, courage, leadership, and endurance. John displays the perfect examples of ANZAC Spirit; he displays tremendous courage and leadership. John not only fought for his country he also put his body on the line in order to be successful over the enemy. John showed leadership by always taking front lines in battle and always leading from the front. By doing this John was hurt and had to leave the war, which just shows how courageous and determined he was and how much he cared about his country’s fate. He also displayed mateship. Mateship is best described as being a good friend to everyone around you even if you don’t know them. John helped wounded soldiers even if he had no clue who they were, this is a prime example of Aussie mateship. He showed mental endurance because he survived for the full 4 years even with injuries and minor setbacks, but he didn’t give up, he fought till the end.
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