Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Jack Garnom (Kassem Ghanem) (3576), of ‘dark complexion’, was born in 1875 in Eloarharnia, Lebanon. He lived in Perth and worked as a labourer. His religious denomina-tion was Druze, and his next of kin was Rasheed Bradbury. At 42-years and 5 months, he enlisted in Perth on 22 July 1917. Jack Garnom embarked at Albany per Port Melbourne on 23 July 1917 and disembarked in Liverpool, UK, then he marched to Rouelles, France.

No longer so young, Garnom left Australia fired up with patriotic fervour and enthusiasm to soon face plenty of danger on the Western Front. On 28 March 1918 under the flames of heavy enemy fire in the Second Battle of the Somme, also called the Battle of Saint-Quentin, Jack Garnom, lost his life. In that ‘No Man’s Land’, at that moment, Corporal Cunnington reported the terrifying moment when Garnom was wounded on the leg. His eye-witness account reads: ‘I saw him again when I was returning, but he had been again [badly] wounded… I shook him and spoke to him, but could get no reply…’ Jack Garnom lost his life on the first day of the ‘hell’ that was the fighting on the Somme as soon as he arrived in France. He fought for the country believing that Australia’s freedom and way of life were worthy of the supreme sacrifice. He was among many fine Australians who had courage in the face of death and did not return from the Western front. His grave is unknown.

Jack Garnom was issued with the 1914/5 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Med-al. He was the father of an only son, Toufik Kasim (Kassem) Ghanem (Garnom) of Mount Lebanon. After receiving the claims for War Gratuity from the late soldier’s widow, Eliza-beth Garnom of Perth, guardian of Garnom’s son, as well as Garnom’s listed next-of-kin P. M Rasheed, the War Gratuity board (Commonwealth Military Forces, 5th Military district pay office, Melbourne, 1921) decided to provide payments to the widow and his son, Toufik K. Ghamem. The correspondence also indicates the tragic loss of Jack Garnom, but also an appreciation of Garnom’s contribution as a fine soldier by the Australian military office. After receiving the financial assistance on account of the demise of his father, provided to him by the English Council in Beirut on the grounds of the Base records, provided by Victo-ria Barracks, Melbourne, Toufik sent his letter of thanks. Toufik also received the Scroll and Plaque as a memorial to his father, and sent again a letter of thanks, signing it in Ara-bic, to officer Base records, Victoria Barracks in Melbourne. In the letter he wrote as his only surviving son, ‘I am sending you the official receipt slip’ and ‘thanking you again most sincerely for all that you have done in his connection’. Indeed, Toufik was most apprecia-tive assuring that he would ‘greatly value the memorial scroll and Plaque’ – ‘they will be much treasured by me’, he said.


From the book:

Dzavid Haveric, 'A History of Muslims in the Australian Military from 1885 to 1945: Loyalty, Patriotism, Contribution’, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, London, 2024