PAGE, John Rowland
| Service Number: | 210 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 August 1914, Randwick |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 54th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bowling Alley Point, New South Wales, Australia, 10 April 1886 |
| Home Town: | West Tamworth, Tamworth Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Journalist |
| Died: | Natural causes, Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia, 21 September 1956, aged 70 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 210, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Randwick | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 210, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 210, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Sydney | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 210, 2nd Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 23 Sep 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 22 Dec 1915: | Promoted Corporal, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 14 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Corporal, 54th Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 54th Infantry Battalion | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 210, 54th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), GSW right arm | |
| 25 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 210, 54th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (Second), Noreuil, Shrapnel wound right elbow. | |
| 17 Apr 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 210, 54th Infantry Battalion, Villers-Bretonneux, Gassed | |
| 23 Oct 1918: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sergeant, 210, 54th Infantry Battalion, HT Durham, Southhampton for return to Australia (1914 Leave) - disembarking Melbourne 23 December 1918, then by rail to Tamworth NSW arriving 28 December 1918. | |
| 22 Feb 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 210, 54th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Michael Silver
The son of school master Thomas Page and his wife Jane (nee McDonald), John Roland Page was born at Bowling Alley Point on the Peel River near Nundle in northern New South Wales in 1886. His father taught at a variety of schools in the Hunter Valley and around the Tamworth region over the next thirty years. In all the couple had seven children, five sons and two daughters – tragically two sons, Clarence Garfield Page (1889-1916) and Thomas Alwyn McDonald Page (1894-1915) were killed during the war.
A short, slim light-weight man, ‘Rolie’ Page as he was better known, enlisted in August 1914 and took part in the famous landing at Gallipoli with the 2nd Battalion on 25 April 1915. Surviving Gallipoli, he was transferred to the new 54th Battalion in early 1916 and promoted to Sergeant.
Sent to France, Sergeant Page was to take part in some of the most infamous actions by Australian troops on the Western Front, being wounded on three occasions. At Fromelles in July 1916 he was part of the disastrous assault that decimated the 54th Battalion. One of the fortunate survivors he suffered a wound to his right arm. Then in 1917 he was wounded in the right elbow during second Bullecourt. Finally, in April 1918 near Villers Bretonneux he was severely gassed.
In late October 1918, under the ‘1914 Leave’ provisions, he embarked HT Durham at Southampton for Australia. Disembarking in Melbourne he travelled by train to Tamworth – arriving at Tamworth Railway Station at 8.55 pm on Saturday, 28 December 1918. On the train was fellow 1914 veteran Sergeant George Laidlaw. The Tamworth Town Band played ‘Home Sweet Home’ and the crowd present cheered as the train drew into the station. The pair were given a warm welcome on the platform by Alderman Logue, standing-in for the Mayor, Alderman W. A. Bourne. Following the speeches and more cheers, the two men were driven to their respective homes.
After the war, Rolie Page returned to his profession of journalism. He also produced numerous items of poetry under the name 'J. Roland Page'. The poems had themes that were often a reflection of his military experience. Several of these items were published in the Sydney newspapers.
Sergeant John Roland Page, soldier, journalist and poet died on 21 September 1956 at Chatswood. He was 70.
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