Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John is my maternal great grandfather.
His parents are Elizabeth Sarah World and George Smith, Elizabeth had previously married Francis Stephens.
John Henry Adams Smith is the youngest of 5 children , born 1876 in Port Melbourne ( aka Sandridge).
His address on enlistment 117 Palmer St. Richmond, owned by Elizabeth and her third husband George Wright. He is listed as a carter and ashphalter prior to his service. He married Mary Bisha, the child of austro-hungarian immigrants. His second child Alice Lavina Smith is my maternal grandmother (1904-1984) , his youngest child was Ellen Barbara Smith (known to me as my Aunt Peg) born 1915, he never met this child.
He enlisted on 19 Jun 1915.
He departed Melbourne on 18 Sept 1915 on SS Makarini to Egypt for training.
He was possibly deployed to Galipolli 11 Dec 1915, 5th Battalion as part of the retreat. In Egypt he was moved to 57th Battalion for a few months, then moved 60th Battalion 15 March 1916. On 28 June 1916 they arrived at Marseille, travelling by train to northern France. On 19 July 1916 the 60th were involved in Fromelles battle. On 21 July 1916 39 year old John died of gunshot wounds in a hospital station.
"Over 5,500 Australians became casualties. Almost 2,000 of them were killed in action or died of wounds and some 400 were captured. This is believed to be the greatest loss by a single division in 24 hours during the entire First World War. Some consider Fromelles the most tragic event in Australia’s history."
I assume John Henry Adams Smith did not get far from the trenches at Fromelles, as he died of wounds 2 days at a hospital/clearing station, the tragic losses at Fromelles.