Aleck JOHNSON

JOHNSON, Aleck

Service Number: 1569
Enlisted: 25 November 1914
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 10th Infantry Battalion
Born: Christiana, Norway, November 1884
Home Town: Adelaide, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Labourer
Died: Acute pneumonia, Lewisham, London, England, United Kingdom, 6 March 1917
Cemetery: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
Plot XI, Row F, Grave No. 8
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

25 Nov 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1569, 10th Infantry Battalion
19 Feb 1915: Involvement Private, 1569, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Runic embarkation_ship_number: A54 public_note: ''
19 Feb 1915: Embarked Private, 1569, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Runic, Melbourne
24 Jun 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion
4 Aug 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 10th Infantry Battalion

Help us honour Aleck Johnson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Evan Evans

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland 

Died on this date – 6th March…… Aleck Johnson was born in Christiania, Norway around 1884.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 25th November, 1914 as a 30 year old, single, Labourer from Adelaide, South Australia.

Private Aleck Johnson, Service number 1569, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Runic (A54) on 19th February, 1915 with the 10th Infantry Battalion, 3rd Reinforcements.

A Field General Court Martial was held on 18th May, 1915 at Mustapha, Alexandria where Private Aleck Johnson had committed the following Offences: 1. Drunk in Town about 10.30 pm; 2. Absent from 3 pm on 3rd May, 1915 to 10.40 pm on 11th May, 1915 & 3. Out of Bounds. He pleaded Guilty & was sentenced to 112 days Detention - this was commuted to 14 days Field Punishment No. 2 on 20th May, 1915. Private Johnson was transferred from Overseas Base at Alexandria on 26th May, 1915 to Abbassia Detention Barracks for 14 days Field Punishment.

Private Aleck Johnson was taken on strength of 10th Battalion from Reinforcements at Gallipoli on 17th June, 1915.

He reported sick at Gallipoli Peninsula on 4th July, 1915. He was transferred to Hospital Ship Devanha then admitted to Military Hospital at Imtarfa, Malta on 14th July, 1915 with Dysentery. Private Johnson was transferred to St George’s Hospital, Malta on 9th August, 1915 then transferred to St. Patrick’s, Malta on 15th August, 1915. He was transferred to Hospital Ship Galeka on 25th August, 1915, embarking from Malta for England, due to Diarrhoea & Teeth.

He was admitted to 2nd City of London General Hospital, England on 3rd September, 1915 with Enteritis. He was discharged on 14th October, 1915.
On 22nd November, 1915 Private Johnson posted to Depot at Abbey Wood, England. He was written up on 24th November, 1915 – Drunk – no punishment given as it was his first offence but was fined 2/- cab fare. Private Johnson was also reported on 24th November, 1915 for reporting late from furlough. He was awarded 48 hours detention & forfeited 2 days’ pay.

Private Johnson was written up on 26th November, 1915 for being drunk & using obscene language. He was awarded 48 hours detention.

He was awarded 13 days detention for absence & forfeited 13 days pay on 20th December, 1915. (no other details were recorded)

Private Aleck Johnson proceeded overseas to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) in France from Weymouth, England (no date recorded). He was posted to 1st Divisional Base Depot at Etaples, France from Weymouth on 29th May, 1916. He was marched out from 1st Divisional Base Depot on 25th June, 1916 & joined Entrenching Battalion.

He joined 10th Battalion in France on 30th July, 1916.
On 8th August, 1916 Private Johnson was awarded 60 days Field Punishment No. 1 as a result of a Field General Court Martial.

He reported sick on 2nd September, 1916 & was admitted to 1st Australian Field Ambulance on 3rd September, 1916 with Scabies. He was discharged on 21st September, 1916 & rejoined 10th Battalion on 21st September, 1916.

Private Johnson reported sick on 6th November, 1916. He was admitted to 29th Casualty Clearing Station on 7th November, 1916 with Scabies then was transferred & admitted to No. 6 Convalescent Depot on 28th November, 1916. From there he was transferred to No. 5 Convalescent Depot at Cayneaux on 1st December, 1916 & was discharged to Base Details on 10th January, 1917.

On 11th January, 1917 Private Johnson joined 1st A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Etaples, France. He was admitted to Segregation Camp on 25th January, 1917 then transferred & admitted to 26th General Hospital on 7th February, 1917 with Sciatica & N.Y.D. (not yet determined) Chest. Private Johnson embarked for England from Havre, France on 17th February, 1917 on Hospital Ship Glenart Castle with Sciatica.

He was admitted to Beaufort War Hospital on 20th February, 1917. Private Johnson was transferred & admitted to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital on 27th February, 1917 with Sciatica. He was discharged to furlough on 5th March, 1917 & was then to report to Depot at Weymouth on 20th March, 1917.

Private Aleck Johnson died on 6th March, 1917 from Acute Pneumonia. He was found dead in a Public Lavatory at Lewisham, London, England.

He was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England where around 360 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.

Private Aleck Johnson had no blood relatives & as a result the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal & the Victory Medal, along with the Memorial Scroll & Memorial Plaque were sent to “Untraceables” in January, 1922.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/i---l.html

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