John Thomas Hamilton ARAM

ARAM, John Thomas Hamilton

Service Number: Commissioned Officer
Enlisted: 29 March 1915, Served for 8 years in the 52nd Infantry, Victorian Scottish Regiment, Citizen Military Forces
Last Rank: Captain
Last Unit: 57th Infantry Battalion
Born: St Kilda, Victoria, Australia, 9 April 1886
Home Town: St Kilda East, Port Phillip, Victoria
Schooling: All Saints Brighton Road State School, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Clerk, Victorian Public Service
Died: Killed In Action, Belgium, 25 September 1917, aged 31 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient)
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World War 1 Service

29 Mar 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Commissioned Officer, 2nd Divisional Signal Company, Served for 8 years in the 52nd Infantry, Victorian Scottish Regiment, Citizen Military Forces
4 May 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Commissioned Officer, 2nd Divisional Signal Company, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Macquarie embarkation_ship_number: A39 public_note: ''
10 Sep 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Commissioned Officer, 2nd Division Signals, ANZAC / Gallipoli, Embarked on the "Southland" 30th August ex Alexandria. Ship torpedoed 2 Sep 1915. LT J T H Aram was specially mentioned by the Commander in Chief for assisting HMAT "Southland" into Mudros Harbour after being torpedoed. Special Order 27 by the CinC 17 Sep 1915.
17 Mar 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 57th Infantry Battalion
14 Apr 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, 57th Infantry Battalion
19 Jul 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, Commissioned Officer, 57th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), 57th Battalion was the Brigade Reserve at Fromelles and so did not sustain the horrendous losses of the other three Battalions.
18 Dec 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, Commissioned Officer, 57th Infantry Battalion, Detached to 15th Training Battalion Salisbury Plain
25 Sep 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, Commissioned Officer, 57th Infantry Battalion, Polygon Wood, Killed in Action

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Biography contributed

John Thomas Hamilton ARAM was born in St Kilda, Victoria on 9th April, 1886

His parents were William ARAM & Sarah Ann HAMILTON

Biography contributed by Andreena Hockley

Killed in action on 26th September, 1917, Captain J. T. Hamilton Aram, 57th Battalion, second son of the late William Aram, and stepbrother of Miss Amy Ostberg, head teacher of School. 2046, Lurg.

Born in 1886, he was appointed junior teacher at Footscray in 1905, and transferred in a similar capacity to Prahran West in 1907. He was then successively assistant at lona, head teacher of half-time schools at Tarrawarra and Chum Creek, also San Remo and Rhyll, and assistant at 2586, Malvern. He resigned in 1909 to enter the clerical division of the Public Service, and was employed in the Stores Branch at the Education Office.

As a teacher, he had proved himself very attentive to duty, and his habits and character made him an equally valuable clerical officer. He was keenly interested in military matters, and held a commission in the old Victorian Scottish Regiment.

He enlisted for active service in March, 1915, but was retained for home instruction until May, when he sailed as 2nd Lieutenant with the 2nd Division Signallers.

Captain Aram was twice mentioned in dispatches. On the torpedoed Southland, he acted as a volunteer stoker when the vessel was apparently sinking. He was one of the last to leave Gallipoli.

Promoted Captain in April, 1916, and transferred to the 57th Battalion, he took part in much of the heavy fighting in France, and, when he fell, the army lost a vigorous and capable officer.

His official military record says that he enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant on the 29th of March, 1915, and embarked with the 2nd Divisional Signalling Company on the 3rd of May on the transport Port Macquarie. After serving in Egypt, he proceeded to Gallipoli with his unit on the 30th of August. He returned to Egypt after the evacuation, and, on the 17th of March, 1916, at Tel-el-Kebir, was transferred to the 57th Battalion.

He was promoted Captain at Hog's Back on the 14th of May. On the 17th of June, he went with his unit to France; and, on the 18th of December, he was sent to England on duty with the 15th Training Battalion. He rejoined his unit again on the 17th of July, 1917, and was with it till his death.

Source: The Education Department's Record of War Service, Victoria, 1914-1919.

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