CARRUTHERS, John Thomas
| Service Number: | 2880 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 59th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia, 10 October 1891 |
| Home Town: | Leichhardt, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Audit Clerk with NSWGR |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 21 May 1918, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Etaples Military Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Leichhardt War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 2880, 59th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 2880, 59th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Sydney | |
| 21 May 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 2880, 59th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2880 awm_unit: 59th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-05-21 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
John Thomas CARRUTHERS was born at Leichhardt, Sydney, on 10 October 1891. He joined the NSWGR&T as an apprentice clerk in the Traffic Audit Branch at Sydney on 8 October 1907 with an annual salary of £30. On 10 October 1911 he promoted to junior clerk and on 10 October 1912 he was promoted to clerk, by which time his salary had increased to £130 per annum.
John enlisted in the AIF on 18 September 1916 with the rank of Private (Service Number 2880) and he was posted to the 59th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his wife, Eliza (Lila) Carruthers, as his next of kin. Their family home was in Flood St, Leichhardt.
He embarked for England aboard HMAT A19 ‘Afric’ at Sydney on 3 November 1916 and disembarked at Plymouth, England on 9 January 1917.
After his death his widow was awarded a pension of £2 per fortnight with effect from 27 July 1918. He also left a young daughter, Eva May Carruthers, and she was awarded a pension as well, with effect from the same date as her mother’s but at half the rate. His widow remarried in June 1922.
Submitted 19 May 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
John Thomas CARRUTHERS was born at Leichhardt, Sydney, on 10th October 1891. He joined the NSW Government Railways & Tramways as an apprentice clerk in the Traffic Audit Branch at Sydney on 8th October 1907 with an annual salary of £30. On 10th October 1911 he was promoted to junior clerk. One year later, on 10th October 1912, he was promoted to clerk. His salary had increased to £130 per annum.
John enlisted in the AIF on 18th September 1916. His rank was Private (Service Number 2880). He was posted to the 59th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his wife, Eliza (Lila) Carruthers, as his next of kin. Their family home was in Flood St, Leichhardt.
He embarked for England aboard HMAT A19 ‘Afric’ at Sydney on 3rd November 1916. He disembarked at Plymouth in England on 9th January 1917. He was first sent to the 59th Training Battalion. He left England for France on 28th March 1917. After transiting through the 5th Australian Division Base Depot he joined the 59th Infantry Battalion on 2nd April 1917.
He was admitted to hospital twice due to sickness. On the first occasion, at Amiens, on 19th June 1917 he was admitted suffering ‘torsion, left testicle’. He did not return to his unit until 17th July 1917. On the second occasion he was admitted to hospital on 10th November 1917. He was suffering from scabies. He returned to his unit five days later.
After a period of furlough in the United Kingdom from 8th February 1918 to 8th March 1918 he returned to France. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 17th April 1918. On 27th April 1918 he was admitted to hospital again. He had an abrasion to his left ankle which was also diagnosed as tubercular arthritis. The injury was sufficiently severe for him to be transferred to the 7th Canadian General Hospital at Etaples, France. This hospital was hit by an air raid on 20th May 1918 and, as a result, John received multiple bomb wounds to his left thigh, ankle, right arm and abdomen. He died of his wounds on 21st May 1918.
John is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, Nord Pas de Calais, France. After his death his widow was awarded a pension of £2 per fortnight with effect from 27th July 1918. He also left a young daughter, Eva May Carruthers, and she was awarded a pension at the same time but at half the rate. His widow remarried in June 1922.
- based on the notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board