REARDON, Joseph Bertram
| Service Number: | 3079 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Port Broughton, South Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Mundoora, Barunga West, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 4 June 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mundoora War Memorial, Port Broughton War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 3079, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 3079, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide |
Help us honour Joseph Bertram Reardon's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by tony griffin
Joseph Reardon was the son of Thomas and Louisa Augusta (nee Bennier) Reardon of Mundoora.
Joseph was born in Port Broughton in 1894. A farm labourer, he was 21 years old when he enlisted on 18 June 1915.
Appointed to 10th Reinforcements/10 Battalion Joseph embarked from Adelaide aboard HMAT A70 Ballarat on 14 September 1915 and was taken on strength with 10 Battalion at Mudros on 25 November. In March 1916 10 Battalion sailed from France and from then until 1918, the battalion took part in bitter trench warfare. The battalion's first major action in France was at Pozieres in the Somme valley in July. After Pozieres the battalion fought at Ypres in Flanders before returning to the Somme for winter. In 1917, the battalion returned to Belgium to take part in the major British offensive of that year - the Third Battle of Ypres. In February 1917 Joseph was sick with the mumps and was evacuated to Parkhouse Hospital in England. It was 5 months later that he rejoined his unit in France. In March and April 1918 the 10th Battalion helped stop the German spring offensive and was then involved in the operations leading up to the Allied counter-stroke. In June, during an attack near Merris in France Joseph was wounded in action. Firstly reported wounded and missing it was not until a Court of Enquiry held in the field declared that in fact Joseph had been killed in action.
At Mont de MERRIS engagement about the 4th June 1918. I was a member of Lewis Gun Team of which Pte. REARDON was the No. 1 in No. 1 Platoon. We attacked with the 11th Battalion and had reached our objective and were digging in, when a bomb was thrown and REARDON was wounded somewhere about the throat. He appeared to be badly wounded. I asked him if he was alright and if he knew the way out and he replied “Yes”. He then left for the aid post. I have not seen him since. A.R. Fisher L/Cpl
At MONT de MERRIS show on about the 4th June 1918 we attacked with the 11th Battalion and reached our objective and were digging in. REARDON who was No. 1 of the Lewis Gun Team took his section out in front to act as a screen, shorltly after REARDON came running back and I asked him what was the matter, he said “they have got me this time” and continued running back in the direction from which we had come. I don’t think there was much fear of him wandering into the enemy lines. There was a heavy enemy barrage falling on the old front line. I have not seen Reardon since. J. Martin L/Cpl
Joseph has no grave and is remembered on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in France.
Joseph's younger brother, 5080 Pte Oscar Thomas Reardon served with 50 Battalion AIF.
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