JOHNSTON, Harry
| Service Number: | 776 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 December 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 56th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Towamba, New South Wales, Australia, 8 November 1890 |
| Home Town: | Towamba, Bega Valley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Dairy Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in action, France, 8 July 1918, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Franvillers Communal Cemetery Extension Plot I, Row G, Grave No. 19. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 30 Dec 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 776, 7th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Feb 1915: | Involvement Private, 776, 7th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Hymettus embarkation_ship_number: A1 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Feb 1915: | Embarked Private, 776, 7th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Hymettus, Sydney | |
| 8 Jul 1918: | Involvement Private, 776, 56th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 776 awm_unit: 56th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-07-08 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Harry Johnston was the son of Robert Henry and Mary Ann Johnston, of Pericoe, near Bega, New South Wales. He was one of 15 children who had a tough upbringing in the bush at Towamba in far south east NSW. One of his brothers died from a snakebite in 1897. His youngest brother died just after birth in 1900. A third brother died after an epileptic attack on the farm in 1913, aged 18 years. A fourth brother died of wounds in France, Private Robert Henry Johnston 53rd Battalion, during October 1916, aged 22.
Harry was at Gallipoli from early August 1915 with the 7th Light Horse Regiment. He was evacuated sick on two occasions and spent much of 1916 at training camps and in and out of hospitals.
He was posted to the 56th Battalion during May 1917 and suffered gas poisoning during October 1917 at Ypres. He was again evacuated to England and rejoined the 56th Battalion in France in March 1918, four months before he was killed in action during July 1918.
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