SMART, John William
| Service Number: | 2245 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 60th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mackay, Queensland, Australia, 1885 |
| Home Town: | Irymple, Mildura Shire, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Brisbane Grammar School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Orchardist |
| Died: | Mildura, Victoria, Australia, 1955, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Mildura Cenotaph, Mildura Presbyterian Church Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 2245, 60th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Orsova embarkation_ship_number: A67 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 2245, 60th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Orsova, Melbourne |
How not to treat a man of 33
Jack was caught eating on parade, and made to run round the parade-ground holding a rifle above his head until he collapsed from exhaustion (that punishment, known as bull-dogging, is now banned in the Australian defence forces). According to family tradition, he said that if that was how they treated someone who had come halfway around the world to fight for Britain, he would never carry a gun for them again, and he volunteered to join a musical unit which travelled around entertaining the troops.
His war record indicates that he saw active service in France and was shot in a shoulder in 1918. He also got the flu.
Submitted 9 September 2025 by Margaret Furness
Biography contributed by Margaret Furness
Jack's family moved from Mackay to Irymplec 1910. He was an orchardist. Jack played the organ for the Mildura Presbyterian church.He enlisted in 1916, at the age of 33. He was caught eating on parade, and made to run round the parade-ground holding a rifle above his head until he collapsed from exhaustion (that punishment, known as bull-dogging, is now banned in the Australian defence forces). According to family tradition, he said that if that was how they treated someone who had come halfway around the world to fight for Britain, he would never carry a gun for them again, and he volunteered to join a musical unit which travelled around entertaining the troops. His war record indicates that he saw active service in France and was shot in the right shoulder in 1918. He also got the flu. Family tradition says he was gassed.
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