PORTER, John Riley
| Service Number: | 6296 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Fylde, Lancashire, England, February 1879 |
| Home Town: | Tweed Heads, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 27 June 1947, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Anzac Portion 7 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6296, 9th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 6296, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Clan McGillivray embarkation_ship_number: A46 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Sep 1916: | Embarked Private, 6296, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Clan McGillivray, Brisbane | |
| 27 Mar 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 6296, 9th Infantry Battalion, 1st MD |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Australian World War One veteran Private John Riley Porter (Service No. 6296), is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with plaques in recognition of their service for Australia.
We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 15 April 2023, along with a further 246 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
John Riley Porter was born in 1880 in Fylde, Lancashire, England, to Robert Porter and Emma Jane Porter (née Riley). He married Sarah Ann Dytch in Huddersfield in December 1901, at which time he was employed as a gas manager. Between 1902 and 1906, the couple had three children.
By the time of the First World War, he had emigrated to Australia alone and was living in Brisbane. When he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 6 January 1916 at the age of 36, he described his occupation as a farmer and recorded his marital status as single, naming his father, Robert Porter of Yorkshire, as his next of kin.
He embarked for overseas service in September 1916, arriving in England in November before proceeding to France, where he joined the 9th Battalion in early 1917. His service was marked by repeated hospitalisations for illness, including trench feet and abdominal complaints. After further movements between England and France, he rejoined his battalion on the Western Front in late 1917. In August 1918 he was severely wounded in action, suffering gunshot wounds to his back and right arm, and was evacuated to England. He returned to Australia in January 1919 and was discharged as medically unfit in March that year.
John Riley Porter died on 27 June 1947, aged 67, and was buried in Anzac Portion 7, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity and dignity have now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget
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