RADBURN, John
| Service Number: | 2714 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 July 1916, Sydney, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 45th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, 1886 |
| Home Town: | Trunkey Creek, Bathurst Regional, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shearer |
| Died: | Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, 25 June 1953, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Trunkey Creek Cemetery, New South Wales |
| Memorials: | Blayney Pictorial Honour Roll No 1, Trunkey Creek War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Jul 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2714, 45th Infantry Battalion , Sydney, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1916: | Involvement Private, 2714, 45th Infantry Battalion , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Oct 1916: | Embarked Private, 2714, 45th Infantry Battalion , HMAT Ceramic, Sydney |
Help us honour John Radburn's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Mrs Bridget Radburn, Trunkey Creek, New South Wales
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
John Radburn was one of four sons of Matthew and Bridget Radburn, of Trunkey Creek, New South Wales, who enlisted and served overseas during the Great War.
John arrived in England during late 1916 and joined the 13th Battalion in France during March 1917. He was declared absent from his unit on 31 May 1918 until he was arrested in Abbeville, France three weeks later. He was charged with desertion, found guilty and sentenced to five years penal servitude from 11 July 1918. The sentence was suspended a few weeks later.
At his court martial John stated, “The reason I went absent was because my brothers, (2), had been killed at Messines, and the third discharged badly wounded. I thought the family had done enough.
I joined the 13th Battalion about March 1917, I was at Bullecourt and have been with the Battalion since.
I don’t intend going to the front line again.” (underlined)
His younger brother 1647 Pte. Archibald Radburn 45th Battalion AIF was killed in action at Messines in Belgium on 7 June 1917, aged 24.
Another brother 2715 Pte Nathaniel Radburn, of the same 45th Battalion, was wounded in action at Messines on the same day Archibald was killed. Nathaniel was evacuated to England with a gunshot wound to the chest and eventually returned to Australia, 12 May 1918, with a shrapnel wound to his left lung.
A younger brother 1728 Pte. Ambrose Radburn 26th Battalion AIF, was killed in action near Villers Bretonneux on 5 July 1918, aged 23.
John again went missing on 30 July 1918, and this time wasn’t arrested until the 17 November 1918, almost four months later. He was this time sentenced to two years in hard labour, to be served concurrently with his first offence. He was sent prison in France on 5 January 1919 and was shifted to Portland Prison in England during May 1919. His sentence was suspended and he was released from prison in August 1919, returning to Australia a month later.
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