PERKINS, John Asall Thomas
| Service Number: | 517 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 30th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelong, New South Wales, Australia., 24 May 1882 |
| Home Town: | Adelong, Tumut Shire, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 7 April 1918, aged 35 years |
| Cemetery: |
Boves East Communal Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 517, 30th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 517, 30th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
John Asall Thompson PERKINS,(Service Number 517) was born on 24th May 1882 at Adelong. His first employment with the NSW Government Railways was in the Traffic Branch as a temporary gatekeeper in the Newcastle District from 23rd March 1913. In October he was appointed as a permanent porter and this was the position from which he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 21st July 1915. He enlisted at Sydney a few days later, giving his father living at Adelong as his next of kin. There was some sort of medical incident in the next weeks involving alcoholic delusions and considerations as to whether he was fit to serve, but a medical board decided that he had recovered and was quite fit. The incident seems to have generated a second set of Attestation Papers dated in October.
He was allotted to the 30th Australian Infantry Battalion. Perkins embarked HMAT ‘Beltana’ at Sydney on 9th November 1915 and reached Suez (Egypt) on 11th December. Here he joined the battalions evacuated from Gallipoli as they regrouped. After six months further training he embarked HMAT ‘Honorata’ at Alexandria for passage through Marseilles to France and the British Expeditionary Forces fighting on the Western Front.
In November he was admitted to the 8th Field Ambulance with synovitis to his right knee and this led to admission to the 1st New Zealand Stationary Hospital at Amiens. The injury was the result of accident. The Commanding Officer stated that it had occurred whilst on duty and that Perkins was in no way to blame. Whatever the cause the injury was serious enough to require evacuation to England to the 1st Southern Hospital at Birmingham and then to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital at Southall. As he recovered Perkins was transferred to No. 4 Command Depot and then the 61st Battalion in March 1917. He was transferred to the 30th Battalion on marching out to 69th Draft Battalion at Fovant and then marched into the 61st Draft Battalion, and then out to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill. Finally, on 2nd November 1917, he proceeded overseas to France via Southampton and re-joined the 30th Battalion on 14th November 1917.
Five months later, on 7th April 1918, Perkins was killed in action. He was buried in Boves East Communal Cemetery, four miles SE of Amiens.
By the early 1920s, when medals and other mementoes were distributed, Perkins’ parents had died, and as he had no brothers the items were given to his eldest sister, Mrs. Agnes Margaret Todd.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.