SLATTERY, John
| Service Number: | 107 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 1st Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Wellington, New South Wales, Australia, 26 May 1887 |
| Home Town: | Leichhardt, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Bodangora Public School and Peak Hill (Catholic) Convent School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Mine carpenter |
| Died: | Wounds, Aboard Dunluce Castle, off Gallipoli,Turkey, 8 August 1915, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, Gallipoli |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Leichhardt War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 107, 1st Field Company Engineers | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement Sapper, 107, 1st Field Company Engineers, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked Sapper, 107, 1st Field Company Engineers, HMAT Afric, Sydney | |
| 9 May 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sapper, 107, 1st Field Company Engineers, ANZAC / Gallipoli, SW to head - slight | |
| 7 Aug 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sapper, 107, 1st Field Company Engineers, ANZAC / Gallipoli, GSW to abdomen DoW aboard Dunluce Castle |
Help us honour John Slattery's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Vicki Smith
On 19Aug1914 Jack enlisted - the day after his brother Robert Andrew 'Bob'. Jack's Army number was 107 - he was aged 28 years and had been employed as a mine carpenter in various mines.
He had served in the Australian Rifles for 3 years prior to joining up. Jack was 5ft 8in tall, 11 st in weight, having fair complexion and medium hair,
sufficient (sic) eyes. He was appointed to No 1 Field Coy Engineers AIF as a private in 107th Regiment. His next of kin was older brother
Cornelius Slattery, of St Elmo, Ainsworth St, Leichhardt in Sydney (Hensworth St on some records - Sydney UBD checked - only Ainsworth St)
On 9May1915 he received a shrapnel wound to the head at Lemnos and was cared for on the hospital ship 'Gloucester Castle'.
After recovering at Base Camp Zeitoun in Cairo he reported to Gallipoli for duty on 5Jun1915.
He received a serious GSW (gun shot wound) to the abdomen on 7Aug1915 and died the next day on the hospital ship 'Dunluce Castle'.
Jack was buried at sea the next day, and has a headstone -
Grave Reference - I. C. 40 at Shrapnel Valley Cemetery, Anzac, about 450? yards SE of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.
Friends Mary and Bernie Armstrong visited Jack's grave at Schrapnel Gully in 2009 - have photos.
Digitalised Army Record available on National Archives of Australia website - an additional 25 pages downloaded to add to pages obtained many years ago by descendant Glenda Pace nee Slattery.
Jack's brother C J Slattery Jnr was his next of kin so there is some correspondence re Jack being wounded addressed to C J.
There is also correspondence between the Army and Jack's father (also named Cornelius James) re his Victory Medal that was despatched via Registered Post and 'mislaid' -
Army provided C J Snr with receipt with his signature on it. C J's address was PO Peak Hill NSW.
Jack's personal effects sent home per 'Demosthenes' from Egypt comprised - Brush, Rosary, Purse, Bangle and Gift Box.
£52 per annum pension issued to Mrs Emily Slattery from 11Nov1915 - her address was c/- Mrs Gilbert (her mother), Arncliffe Rd, Arncliffe in Sydney.
It appears that Jack's parents, Emily and husband Cornelius James were living apart at this time.
According to Gil Slattery - nephew - A J McKeown has Jack's medals.
John's photo amongst 12 "Heroes of the Dardanelles" on page 5 of SMH dd 2Sep1915.
From NSW State Archives -
Number INX-46-944
SLATTERY John
Railways and Tramways Roll of Honour 1914-1919
Railways Permanent Way
Military Unit - 1st Field Company Engineers
Reference - Page No 18, Index Number 46.
Biography contributed by John Oakes
John Slattery was born at Wellington, NSW, on 26th May 1886. He worked in the Railways Permanent Way Branch. He worked on the Lindfield to Wondabyne Duplication in 1908 and on the Cullerin to Jerrawa Duplication and Deviation in 1914.
Slattery enlisted at Sydney on 19th August 1914 and gave his brother, Cornelius Slattery living in Leichhardt, as his next of kin He claimed three years’ military experience with the Australian Rifles. He gave his ‘trade or calling’ on his Attestation Papers as ‘Mine Carpenter’.
He served in the 1st Field Company of Engineers. He embarked HMAT ‘Afric’ at Sydney on 9th November 1914. He proceeded to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Alexandria on 3rd March 1915. This is well in advance of the Gallipoli landings, but perhaps the Engineers were making preparations before the bulk of the troops embarked in early April. After the landings he was wounded with shrapnel to the head on 9th May and taken to Lemnos Island and No. 2 Stationary Hospital for treatment, and then to Cairo on 14th May. He was discharged for duty at Zeitoun, Egypt, on 20th May and was at Gallipoli again on 2nd June. On 26th June he was admitted to the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance with Rheumatism and did not re-join his unit until 11th July.
On 7th August he received a serious gunshot wound to his abdomen and was evacuated to the Hospital Ship ‘Dunluce Castle’ where he died the next day, 8th August 1915.
His file does contain other documents which state that he was buried in the Shrapnel Valley Cemetery on Gallipoli. The Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour states this also as does the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A pension of £52 per annum was granted to Slattery’s mother Emily from 11th November 1915.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
Click images to start slideshow.