John Joseph Harold (Joe) WORLAND MM

WORLAND, John Joseph Harold

Service Number: 2224
Enlisted: 23 February 1916, Brisbane, Queensland
Last Rank: Second Corporal
Last Unit: 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company
Born: Nimmitabel, New South Wales, Australia, 28 February 1885
Home Town: Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer/Sawyer
Died: Died of wounds, Belgium, 5 November 1917, aged 32 years
Cemetery: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
Row GG, Grave No. 2A,
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Coffs Harbour Roll of Honor, Gayndah District Honour Roll, Gayndah War Memorial
Show Relationships

World War 1 Service

23 Feb 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2224, Brisbane, Queensland
1 May 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2224, 4th Pioneer Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan McGillivray embarkation_ship_number: A46 public_note: ''
1 May 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2224, 4th Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Clan McGillivray, Brisbane
20 Oct 1917: Honoured Military Medal, Third Ypres
28 Oct 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Second Corporal, 2224, 3rd Australian Light Railway Operating Company, 2nd Passchendaele , Shell wound (back)

Help us honour John Joseph Harold Worland's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Maree Worland

Cpl Joe WORLAND enlisted on 23 February 1916 and embarked with the 3rd reinforcements for the 4th Pioneer Battalion. He later transferred to the 17th L.R.O. Co in 1917. 

He was promoted to Corporal in October 1917 and five days later while assisting two wounded men to cover, he was himself mortally wounded by a shell and died on 5 November 1917. 

For his gallantry he was awarded a Bar to his Military Medal which he had received a week previously for bravery under shell fire. His Commanding Officer said of him: "He was a fearless and tireless soldier". 

Doug BARKER & Clyde River & Bateman's Bay Historical Society - Mar 1999

Joe WORLAND was awarded either the M.C. or M.M. for holding a post long enough single handed for reinforcements to be moved up in France. Joe was killed shortly after the reinforcements came up. 

This medal was presented to his son at a ceremony in Brisbane when the Duke of Windsor as Prince of Wales came out to Australia shortly after the 1st World War. 

"Southern Star" 5 December 19?? - Doug BARKER - Mar 1999

Joe WORLAND was one of seven brothers who enlisted in 1914 & 1915. The other six came right through the war and are now all safe home. His father also served two years in Egypt with the remount unit and is still in the army. 

He had two cousins killed in the third battle of Ypres, one a Lieutenant, both in the 35th Batallion. Their names being Lieut T. WORLAND & C. WORLAND. Also 5 more first cousins killed in action. 

Information given to the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour Database by Joe's sister Tilly. 

* * * * * 

Joe's wife died in childbirth at the birth of their third child. 

John Joseph Harold (Joe) was born at Nimmitabel, near Cooma New South Wales and moved with the family to Sydney. Later, about 1911, he moved to Gayndah, Queensland and became a farmer. He married Sarah Ann Deem at Gayndah in 1912. 

Three children were born to Joe and Sarah --- William Cyril Alfred, Merle Vernisha and Ronald James. William was born December 10 1912, Merle on 22 April 1914 and Ronald James on 17 August 1915. Sarah Ann Deem died on 8 September 1915, just three weeks after Ronald’s birth. 

World War I had commenced on August 14, 1914. John Joseph Harold Worland had enlisted in the 4th Pioneer Battalion & at the time of Ronald's birth was stationed at Enoggera, Queenland awaiting embarkation for overseas. He proceeded on final pre-embarkation leave in September 1915. It was not until he arrived at Biggenden near Gayndah in the company of his brother in-law, James Deem; that he learned his young wife had died and had already been buried, leaving three young children. The youngest, Ronald was only three weeks old. 

The three children were brought up by their DEEM grandparents and in a way became younger sons and daughter of the family.

 

Read more...