Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Nicholson Dalzell was born in Wallasey, Cheshire to parents Anthony Dalzell and Annie Nicholson in 1980. John had four siblings but one of the four, unfortunately, died quite young. He was educated at Wallasey Grammar, and was taught quite well and was part of the Church of England.

He moved to Australia at age 20 with the intention of getting off at Western Australia but ended up staying in South Australia when a job was offered to be a farm hand there.  

He worked here until he was 24 and a half when he enlisted for war on 27th of November 1914, at which point he was 5ft 5 inches (only 1.65 m).

After enlisting John was given his service number, 986 and was given all the other information he was to need. After this John boarded the ‘H.M.A.S Botanist’ with everybody else in his regiment and headed on the long journey to the western front.

His first taste of battle was on the 28th of August 1915 at Gallipoli, where he served in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. Following his service here, he moved to Alexandria, a city in Egypt and then in the capital of Egypt, Cairo. It was here he got court marshalled for running away to a nearby town for sight seeing, but then he eventually came back.

Most of the 3rd Light Horse Regiment’s recruits were from Adelaide but one of the 3 squadrons were made up of Tasmanians. They arrived in Egypt during the second week of December 1914. Here they met and then joined the 1st and 2nd regiments to form the 1st Light Horse Brigade.

They were then deployed to Gallipoli without their horses about 5 months after arriving in Egypt on the 12th of May 1915. When they arrived their role was mainly defensive and they were in reserve when its partnering regiments attacked as part of the August offensive.

It was the battle of Rafa, in the middle east where John was struck by a bullet in the chest. The bullet went straight through him and he was almost killed, had it not been for the efforts of the first aid troops in the area, who took him to the nearest hospital. After he was nursed back to good health he was sent back to Australia.

This didn’t last very long, which was unfortunate for John as he only got to stay in Australia for a year before he was shipped back to the war.

He got sick again in hospital when the war ended but he got discharged knowing that he made a difference, even if small, to the people in the war and back home in Australia.

John showed incredible courage and bravery in the war. For one, as he was from overseas, John signed up for war even if it wasn’t required of him. He was probably compelled by the need to protect others to sign up.

He also took a bullet, probably one of the most painful things that a human can experience for King and country, but one of the things that anyone who was fighting over there would have done. This also goes along with the fact that John went in again and fought for his empire again, showing extreme bravery, even after he had experienced being shot.

From Obituries Australia:

John Nicholson Dalzell (1889–1981)

The death occurred recently, at the age of 92, of John Nicholson Dalzell, late of Cadell, and at the time of his death, resident at the Southern Cross Nursing Home, in Adelaide.

John arrived in Australia, from England, in 1911 and worked on a farm at Saddleworth until he joined the army in 1914 and was assigned to the 3rd Light Horse.

He was wounded and invalided home to England, from Egypt, and discharged, but returned to Australia, rejoined the army and was again wounded at Gallipoli.

After discharge in Australia, John was allotted a soldier settler's block in Cadell, where he lived until 12 months ago, and was then the last surviving World War I veteran still on his property there.

John Dalzell can best be described as an English gentleman in the true sense of the word. He was an outstanding citizen in the community, serving on its many committees, a member of the board of management of Cadell Fruitpackers, president of the Cadell Institute, secretary of the school committee, president and a Life Member of the bowling club and a Life Member of the RSL, and, in many other ways served the community in an outstanding manner.

His courage as a soldier and in later life in coping with much pain, has been an example to many.

A Requiem Mass was held in the Uniting Church, Cadell, on September 18, conducted by Fr. Victory and assisted by Fr. Quinn, Fr. McDonald and Fr. Kenny, a son-in-law, four grandchildren and a family friend also took part in the service which was attended by a great many people, showing the esteem in which John Dalzell was held.

He is survived by his widow, Irene Marie, Sister Mary Terese of the Corpus Domini Convent in England, David (Whyalla), Brian (Loxton), Tony (Townsville), Josie (Pt. Lincoln) and 13 grandchildren.