JOHNSEN, John David
| Service Number: | 1655 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 February 1916, Perth, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 44th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Perth, Western Australia, June 1897 |
| Home Town: | East Perth, Perth Water, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Blacksmith |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1655, 44th Infantry Battalion, Perth, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 44th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
| 6 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 44th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Fremantle | |
| 22 Aug 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 44th Infantry Battalion |
A daughters' memory of her Father
I remember being told that my Dad, John David Johnsen, was 16 years old when the First World War was underway. He was a well-built young man and suffered many taunts as to why he wasn’t fighting for his country.
As the elder of 2 boys whose father had died in 1913, he became a staunch supporter of his mother and younger brother. However, white feathers and public aggression forced him to falsify his age and occupation to be accepted into the military service, enlisted 04/02/1916, and sailed for France on 06/06/1916.
Gassed twice and shipped to England, he was returned to the field and was eventually awarded the Military Medal for “great courage and devotion”.
Shirley Holmes
Daughter of John David Johnsen
Submitted 4 April 2017 by Stephen Holmes
Biography
Awarded the Military Medal, "for showing great courage and devotion near Bony, France, in his role as a signaler and runner, going out continually under heavy fire to repair damaged communication lines."
Click images to start slideshow.