KINDLER, Johann Carl
| Service Number: | 2704 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 August 1915, Adelaide South Australia Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Nuriootpa South Australia Australia, 31 December 1891 |
| Home Town: | Tanunda, Barossa, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shop Assistant/ Draper |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 20 April 1916, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Rue-du-Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard, Laventie, France (F. 46.) Rue-du-Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard, Laventie, France., Rue-du-Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard, Laventie, Bethune, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Angaston District WW1 Roll of Honour, Angaston War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Nuriootpa Honor Board WW1, Tanunda Roll of Honor, Tanunda War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide South Australia Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2704, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2704, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Adelaide | |
| 28 Feb 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, 2704, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 20 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2704, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2704 awm_unit: 10 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-04-20 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
A Comrade's Letter
Advertiser, 15 June 1916
The following letter has been received by Mr. E. Kindler, of Nuriootpa, from Private W. E. Haymann:— "Before you receive this letter you will, no doubt, have received word of your brother Carl's death, and am writing these few lines to express the sincere sympathy of Privates Riebe, Hoffmann, Heuzenroeder and myself. Carl and Stan Schroeder joined the Brigade Band, and were temporarily attached to the Battalion, who moved to a billet closer to the firing line two days before our battalion. As far as we can gather they were in the support trenches for a day or two, after which they returned to their billet about three miles behind the firing line, and shortly after arriving there (on April 19) the billet was shelled. Poor Charles was killed instantly, and Stan Schroeder, who was seriously wounded, died next day without regaining consciousness. They were both buried on Good Friday. Carl made many friends, by whom his death is keenly felt."
Submitted 27 June 2023 by Chris Murphy
Biography
Surname: Hendler; Give Names: Carl (Charles) Johann; Date of Birth: 31 December 1889; Date of Enlistment: 1 September 1915; Trade or Calling: Draper; Birth Location: Nuriootpa; Address prior to enlistment: Tanunda; Photograph sent by: Mrs S J Wark.
Source: State Records SA Note: Surname is missplet as Hendler, actual surname was Kindler.
Johann Carl Kindler was killed in action on the 20th of April 1916 - the first casualty the 10th Battalion would suffer in Europe on the Western Front. Private Kindler enlisted on the 23 August 1915 along with several other men from Tanunda in Adelaide. He was originally drafted into the 7th Reinforcements of the 27th Battalion and embarked at Outer Harbour on HMAT Benalla (A24) on the 27th October 1915. The 27th Battalion known as 'Unley's Own' due to the large number of men from Unley sailed to Egypt where they underwent additionally training. After the evacuation of Australian units from Gallipoli they joined other Australian units in Egypt. Here on the 27th of February, 1916, Private Kindler was transferred to the 10th Battalion, another South Australian Battalion. By the 27th of March the 10th Battalion was embarking at Alexandria on board ''Sakonia'' and they arrived in Marseilles, France on the 3rd of April, 1916. 17 days later, Private Kindler was dead.
From official histories of the AIF it is hard to discern how Private Kindler was Killed in Action as the 10th Battalion had not yet reached the front line for the first time, and were too far behind the front line in billets on the 20th of April to be shelled by the enemy. However, some light can be shed as to one possibility of how he was killed. The cemetery he is now buried in, Rue-du-Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard, is home to a large number of 9th Battalion (QLD) men who were killed in action on the 20th of April, 1916. Using these facts it is possible to discern that Kindler possibly embarked on the wrong train at Marseilles. Both the 10th and 9th Battalions had sailed to Marseilles on the same boat (the ''Sakonia''), however, they had then taken separate trains north to different billets in France. The 9th Battalions billets were closer to the front line (near Rouge de Bout) and while C Company of the 9th Battalion were walking to their billets at 1:15pm on the 20th they were heavily shelled by the enemy. Other 9th battalion men ran to help those wounded and many of these were also killed and wounded.
It is unfortunate to think that Private Kindler was killed as part of this from simply hopping on the train with the wrong battalion.
Coincidentally, Kindler's friend Private Stanley Henry Schroeder also died of wounds on the 20th of April, 1916. Both men from Tanunda and were good friends before they ending up enlisting in the AIF together on the same day. They were placed in the same unit together (the 27th Battalion) and were together until they both died on the 20th of April, 1916. It is therefore likely that both men had hopped on the wrong train at Marseilles with the wrong Battalion and as a result were killed. Whereas, Private Kindler was killed in Action, Private Schroeder died of wounds, which possibly suggests that Kindler was killed originally and Schroeder was wounded and later died of these wounds by trying to help others wounded or killed. Either way, the impact on a small town like Tanunda so early in the war is tragic.
1914/14 Star: 22600
British War Medal: 22783
Victory Medal: 22614
Memorial Plaque: 306066
Submitted by Nathan Rohrlach on behalf of Ian Jaensch.
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