BIGG, John Theodore
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Noarlunga, South Australia, 10 February 1890 |
| Home Town: | Noarlunga, Onkaparinga, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Keswick, South Australia, 16 October 1945, aged 55 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia Interred on 18 October 1945. Commonwealth War Graves Path 17, Grave 7. Interment right number 1920 which expires on 1 July 2043 |
| Memorials: | McLaren Vale Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 3rd Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 1914: | Involvement 3rd Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Oct 1914: | Embarked 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Port Lincoln, Adelaide | |
| 1 Feb 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Promoted while overseas | |
| 20 Oct 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, 3rd Light Horse Regiment | |
| 13 Dec 1918: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches, For action between 19-25 September 1918 at Wadi Hamimam Awarded and promulgated in the London Gazette Number 31728 on 12 January 1920; Commonwealth Gazette Number 133 on 1 April 1920 | |
| 13 Sep 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Captain, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Discharged at 4th Military District |
Help us honour John Theodore Bigg's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of James Bigg and Annie Bigg nee Niemann of Port Noarlunga, SA. Brother of Frank Samuel Bigg and Edgar Niemann Bigg
On 28 August 1919 John married Mary Gertrude Wiltshire in the Goodwood Methodist Church, SA
Father of Erica Mary Bigg, James Wiltshire Bigg, Joan Theodora Bigg, Bevan John Bigg, Florence Annie Bigg, Margery Alison Bigg and Dorothy Millicent Bigg
Returned to Australia on 31 May 1919 aboard HT Aeneas from England
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed
- completed by Reynella East High School
John Theodore BIGGS was born in Noarlunga city of Onkaparinga, South Australia on February 10th 1890. His mother is Annie Neimann Biggs who was born 1864 and died 1951, his father is James Biggs, he was born 1863 and died 1948. He also had 2 brothers, Frank Samuel Biggs was born on the 9th of march 1892 and Edgar Niemann Biggs was born on the 19th of January in Willunga south Australia Making John the eldest brother of the 3. He had a spouse, her name was Mary Gertrude Wiltshire Biggs she was born in 1893 and died 1982. John married Mary when he was 29 years old and when she was 26 at Goodwood Methodist church located in South Australia. John and Mary had 5 children, Florence Annie Biggs, Bevan John Biggs, Erica May Biggs, Joan Theodora Biggs, and Margery Alison Biggs. During his life John Theodore BIGGS was a Methodist, a Methodist is a member of the Christian denomination which originated in the 18th century.
John Theodore BIGGS was enlisted into war September 19th 1914 Embarking from Adelaide on the HMAT Port Lincoln A17.Originally he was ranked second Lieutenant. His role title was the 3LHR (Light horse regiment), during the 1st world war (1914-1918) but his later rank was Captain. The 3LHR was raised in Adelaide on the 17th of August 1914, when the first war started. John Theodore BIGGS sailed away from their home ports in late October of the same year, arriving in Egypt in the 2nd week of December. Once in Egypt they joined with the 1st and 2nd regiments, forming the 1st light horse Brigade. Not too soon after the 1st light horse Brigade landed in Gallipoli without their horses joining New Zealand and the Australian division on the 12th of May 1915. Although all the Light horse regiments were together, the 3LHR was on the defensive through the attacks, while the 1st and 2nd horse regiments were on the attack during the August offensives. The 3LHR left on the 14th of December. Returning to Egypt, the 3LHR joined the ANZAC mountain division. From January to May 1916 the 3LHR was protecting the Nile Valley from bands of pro-Turkish Senussi Arabs. On the 18th of May the 3LHR joined forces with the 1LHR (1st LIght horse regiment). Who played a big role in making the Turkish turn back from their advance within the canal of the battle in Romani on the 4th of August. In November the 3LHR joined allied forces across Sinai and subsequently became involved with fighting to secure the Turkish outposts on the Palestine front - Maghdaba on 23 December 1916 and Rafa on 9 January 1917. The 3rd major engagement was the abortive second battle of Gaza on April 19th and finally Gaza fell on the 7th of December With the capture of Gaza, the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed. Although John Theodore BIGGS started as a 2nd in command Lieutenant he ended his career as a Captain, although it does not specifically state what he did, he did have to serve at least 4 years in the military before getting a promotion. Although we do know that with his captain title the acronym MID appeared next to his name, which stands for ‘Mentioned In Dispatches’, which is a way to honour the many services he did during his time within war.
After the war John Theodore BIGGS returned from war to Australia on the 31st of May 1919, on the HT Aeneas from England. Returning from war John Theodore BIGGS, got medals, those including the 1914-1915 star for serving in the war between the 5th of August 1914 and the 31st of December 1915. He got the British war medal for serving at least 18 days between the 3rd of September 1938 to September 2nd 1945. The final medal he got from war was the victory medal, which is given to anyone that entered a theater of war on duty between the 5th of August
1914 to the 11th of November 1918. While also having medals he was Awarded, and promoted the London Gazette which is a short lived published newspaper by the British Government, his
number was No. 31728 and he got this on the 12th of January 1920. Also the Commonwealth Gazette is an official publication for the purpose of notifying the public of government business,
his number was No. 133 and he got this on the 1st April 1920. John Theodore BIGGS was lucky enough to not die in war and instead return to Australia, where he either chose an occupation as a carpenter after the war or he was already in the job industry, nor does it specify if he did retire or if he was still working. Died in Keswick city of West Torrens, South Australia, on the 16th of October 1945 aged 55 where he stayed in the hospital for 8 months and 6 days. Although he originally lived in Prospect.
References
| The Australian War Memorial. (n.d.). Www.awm.gov.au; Australian War Memorial . Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51037
About the 1914-15 Star. (2024). Parliament.uk; UK Parliament . https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/cultural-collections/medals/collection/first-world-war-campaign-medals/1914-15-star/history/
ACT, R. (2024, November 26). Department of Defence. Defence; Military Benefit Association . https://www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/honours-awards/imperial-awards/victory-medal
Captain John Theodore Bigg. (2025). Awm.gov.au; Australian War Memorial . https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10122087
Details. (2025). Adfa.edu.au; UNSW Canberra . https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=22383&printFormat
John Theodore Bigg. (2025). Awm.gov.au; Australian War Memorial . https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2024482
John Theodore BIGG MID. (2025). Vwma.org.au; Virtual War Memorial Australia. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/211638
John Theodore Bigg - Ancestry®. (2021). Ancestry.com.au; Ancestry. https://www.ancestry.com.au/genealogy/records/john-theodore-bigg-24-1b6jsf
Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility. (2012, December 12). GOV.UK; GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medals-campaigns-descriptions-and-eligibility
The Gazette. (n.d.). Www.tsoshop.co.uk; Tso Shop . Retrieved August 21, 2025, from https://www.tsoshop.co.uk/Society/The-Gazette
Trove - Digitised newspapers and more. (2025). Trove; Trove. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/?type=gazette
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