MCINERNEY, John Francis Leo
| Service Number: | 371 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 September 1914, An original member of A Company |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 12th Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | Rockdale, New South Wales, Australia, 12 August 1888 |
| Home Town: | Bullfinch, Yilgarn, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Holy Cross College, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Motor mechanic |
| Died: | Killed in action, Pozieres, France, 14 August 1916, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 371, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), An original member of A Company | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1914: | Involvement Private, 371, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Dec 1914: | Embarked Private, 371, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 21 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 12th Machine Gun Company | |
| 23 May 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 12th Machine Gun Company | |
| 22 Jul 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 12th Machine Gun Company | |
| 14 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 371, 12th Machine Gun Company, Battle for Pozières |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
John was an original member of the 16th Battalion AIF and served at the Gallipoli landing. He was badly wounded a few days later, 28 April 1915, and was transferred to England by hospital ship with a gunshot wound to the knee. He rejoined his unit at Gallipoli during October 1915.
He transferred to the 12th Machine Gun Company during the reorganisation of the AIF in Egypt during early 1916, and quickly promoted up to Sergeant.
At Pozieres on the afternoon of 14 August, 1916, the 12th Machine Gun Company was stationed south of the Bapaume Road, halfway between Pozieres and Martinpuich. One of the gun posts was blown up by a shell killing two of the men, including Sgt. McInerney, who had been recommended for gallantry the week before in the difficult conditions defending the Pozieres Ridge.
Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 - 1916), Tuesday 3 October 1916,
A Bullfinch correspondent, writes: -Sergeant John McInerney, who was killed in action in France on August 14. was well-known in Yilgarn where he had lived from boyhood, and took a keen interest in all sport. He was employed as a motorman on the Bullfinch Proprietary prior to enlisting. He was one of the first to leave Bullfinch, and took part in the famous landing at Gallipoli. He was wounded once, but returned, and was in the evacuation. Deceased, who was a machine gunner, was killed by a high explosive shell. Another brother, James McInerney, went into camp on Monday. Much sympathy is felt for his mother and sister, who reside here.”
His brother, 7023 Pte. James Patrick McInerney 11th Battalion AIF, died of war wounds in Kalgoorlie on 20 November 1918, aged 33.
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