MURSELL, John Hotson
| Service Number: | 1742 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Robe, South Australia , 16 February 1896 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St Peter's College, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Shipping Clerk |
| Died: | Died of wounds, France, 9 October 1917, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Mont Huon Military Cemetery, le Treport, France Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, Haute-Normandie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jun 1915: | Involvement Sergeant, 1742, 27th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1915: | Embarked Sergeant, 1742, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kanowna, Adelaide | |
| 9 Oct 1917: | Involvement Private, 1742, 27th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1742 awm_unit: 27 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-10-09 |
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From the book Fallen Saints
John Hotson Mursell was born at Robe a beautiful seaside town in the South East of South Australia. While at St Peter's College he served in cadets and at the time of enlistment, was a serving member of the 79th Infantry and working as a shipping clerk with Geo Wills and Co, at Port Adelaide.
He enlisted at Keswick on 12 May 1915 and on 1 June, joined the 2nd quota of reinforcements for the 27th Battalion at Mitcham Camp and although only 19 years of age was made an acting sergeant. He sailed from Adelaide aboard HMAT Kanowna with the 2nd reinforcements on 23 June 1915 and after further training in Egypt joined the battalion at Anzac on 10 September and that day was reverted to the rank of lance corporal.
He fell ill in late October, and on 6 November was admitted to HS Devanha with jaundice and Myalgia and evacuated to the Military Hospital at Fort Ricasoli, Malta. He was transferred to the Ghajn Tuffieha Convalescent Camp at the beginning of December and employed as a clerk in the pay office until he returned to Egypt in March. There he was admitted to No 2 Stationary Hospital, Tel-el-Kebir with Mumps until discharged for duty on 12 May.
To ensure he had completely recovered from his illness John was returned to England and attached to 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp, Salisbury Plains; on 23 September he was made acting Quarter Master Sergeant with the rank of acting sergeant.
He sailed for France in November and rejoined the 27th Battalion as a lance corporal on 6 December. In April 1917, he was promoted to temporary corporal but then on 7 September, at his own request he reverted to Private.
The 27th Battalion took part in a number of minor attacks in early 1917 but did not carry out another major attack until 20 September when it was in first wave of the 2nd Division at the battle of Menin Road.
On 5 October, Private Mursell suffered a shell wound to the head and was evacuated through the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance to the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. He was transferred to the 16th General Hospital at Treport the next day but died there on 9 October 1917; he was 21 years of age.
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