John William STEIN

John William STEIN Update Details

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STEIN, John William

Service Number:	2937
Enlisted:	25 September 1916
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	47th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Euthalla, Queensland, Australia, 22 January 1893
Home Town:	Roma, Maranoa, Queensland
Schooling:	Yingerbay State School, Queensland, Australia
Occupation:	Labourer
Died:	Killed in action, Dernancourt, France, 5 April 1918, aged 25 years
Cemetery:	No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France
Tree Plaque:	Roma Heroes Avenue
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Roma Cenotaph, Town of Roma and Shire of Bungil WW1 Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial

World War 1 Service

25 Sep 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2937, 47th Infantry Battalion
27 Oct 1916:	Involvement Private, 2937, 47th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Marathon embarkation_ship_number: A74 public_note: ''
27 Oct 1916:	Embarked Private, 2937, 47th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Marathon, Brisbane

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

John William Stein was known as ‘Jack’ Stein to his family and friends. He was the son of Frederick Henry and Mathilde Stein of Yingerbay, near Roma, Queensland. His father, born in Germany, had come to Queensland in 1876 and was one of the pioneer settlers of the Roma district. Jack’s mother was also German born, having arrived in Australia as a baby during 1863.

Jack Stein on enlistment was 6ft 2in and about 13 stone, and was said to be ‘a very fine stamp of Australian native.’ He arrived in England in January 1917 as a reinforcement for the 47th Battalion. He was given a lot of training in England, including a Cookery School. He only joined the 47th Battalion during January 1918.

Jack Stein was said to be part of A Company of the battalion, and this Company took the brunt of a very heavy German infantry assault on the morning of the 5 April 1918. In fact, one of the witnesses to Jack’s death stated that only 11 men out of 160 in A Company came out after the battle. Jack was seen to be shot very close to the railway line at Dernancourt where the Company was posted. A note in his file says he was buried in the Military Cemetery, Dernancourt Railway Line, but if so, his grave was lost or unmarked by the end of the war.

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