SMITH, John Albert
| Service Numbers: | 1731, 1731A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 March 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 60th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Ship Painter |
| Died: | Died of wounds, United Kingdom, 1 October 1918, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom Section IV, Row B, Grave 10 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1731, 59th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 1731, 59th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' | |
| 4 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 1731, 59th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Lincoln, Melbourne | |
| 1 Oct 1918: | Involvement Private, 1731A, 60th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1731A awm_unit: 60th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-10-01 |
Help us honour John Albert Smith's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 1st October…… John Albert Smith was born at South Yarra, Victoria in 1890.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 7th March, 1916 as a 25 year old, single, Ship & Dock Painter from 34 Napier Street, Fitzroy, Victoria.
Private John Albert Smith, Service number 1731, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Port Lincoln (A17) on 4th May, 1916 with the 15th Infantry Brigade, 59th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements.
On 10th June, 1916 Private Smith was admitted to Government Hospital at Suez with Measles. He was discharged to duty on 26th June, 1916 & was taken on strength of 5th Divisional Details at Tel el Kebir on 9th July, 1916.
He was awarded 6 days confined to Camp on 10th July, 1916 for 1. Refusing to obey a lawful command of an N.C.O. 2. Using insulting language to an N.C.O. on Parade.
Private Smith embarked from Alexandria on 2nd August, 1916 on Troopship Franconia & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 8th August, 1916.
On 21st August, 1916 Private Smith was marched in to 15th Training Battalion in England.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
He reported sick on 9th October, 1916 while posted to 15th Training Battalion Camp at Codford, Wiltshire, England. He was admitted to Camp Hospital at Codford on 12th October, 1916 & transferred to 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford, Wiltshire on 15th October, 1916 with V.D. & was discharged on 16th December, 1916. Total period V.D. – 63 days. Private Smith was marched in to 15th Training Battalion at Codford, Wiltshire on 18th December, 1916 from Hospital.
On 31st December, 1916 Private Smith proceeded overseas on Princess Henrietta. He was marched in to 5th A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Etaples, France on 1st January, 1917.
Private Smith reported sick on 2nd January, 1917 & was admitted to 51st General Hospital at Etaples, France with V.D.G. He was discharged to Base Depot on 27th January, 1917. (26 days V.D.). Private Smith was marched in to 5th A.D.B.D. on 27th January, 1917 from Hospital. He was marched out from 5th A.D.B.D. on 13th February, 1917 & was taken on strength of 60th Battalion in the Field on 17th February, 1917.
Private John Albert Smith was re-allotted a Regimental/Service number of 1731A (this occurred when there was a duplication of numbers).
On 9th May, 1917 Private Smith reported sick. He was admitted to 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station on 9th May, 1917 with scalded feet. A certificate from Commanding Officer, 60th Battalion stated the accident happened while washing clothes & the soldier was in no way to blame. He was transferred to Ambulance Train on 10th May, 1917 & was admitted to 14th General Hospital at Wimereux on 11th May, 1917. Private Smith was transferred on 13th May, 1917 & embarked from Boulogne, France on Hospital Ship St Andrew on 14th May, 1917 with Scalded feet.
Private Smith was admitted to 2nd London General Hospital, St. Mark’s College, King’s Road, Chelsea, England on 15th May, 1917 with scalded Feet. He was transferred to Holborn Military Hospital, Western Road, Mitcham on 8th June, 1917.
He was written up for an Offence while at Holborn Military Hospital, Mitcham, England – AWL (Absent without Leave) from 7 pm on 23rd June, 1917 to 7.40 pm on 25th June, 1917. This was admonished by Captain A. G. Hanks on 26th June, 1917 & he forfeited 3 days pay.
On 5th July, 1917 Private Smith was transferred to St. James Infirmary, Balham (3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth). He was discharged to Furlo from 3rd London, General Hospital, Wandsworth, London, England from 9th August, 1917 to 23rd August, 1917 & was then to report to Depot at Weymouth.
Private Smith was marched in to No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, Dorset on 23rd August, 1917. He was marched out from No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on 20th September, 1917 & was marched in to No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott, Wiltshire the same day. He was medically classified as B1 A2 (fit for overseas training camp in three to four weeks) on 21st September, 1917 while posted at Hurdcott. He was medically classified as B1 A4 (fit for overseas training camp when passed dentally fit) on 26th September, 1917.
He was admitted to 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford, Wiltshire on 15th October, 1916 with V.D.
Private Smith was written up for an Offence - A.W.L. (Absent without Leave) from noon on 18th October, 1917 until 6.40 am on 26th October, 1917. He was awarded 14 days Field Punishment No. 2 & was in custody awaiting trial for 2 days. He had a total forfeiture of 25 days’ pay.
On 30th October, 1917 Private Smith was medically classified as B1 A4. He was marched out to No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire on 4th December, 1917 & was medically classified as B1 A4 on 5th December, 1917. Private Smith was dentally fit on 12th December, 1917 & marched out to Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire on 13th December, 1917 from No. 1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny.
He was marched in to 3rd Training Brigade, Codford, Wiltshire on 23rd December, 1917 from Overseas Training Brigade. He was on command at 4th Divisional Signalling School (15th Training Battalion) at Codford, Wiltshire, on 4th January, 1918.
Private Smith proceeded overseas to France on 23rd April, 1918 from 14th Training Battalion. He was marched in to New Zealand Infantry Base Depot in France on 24th April, 1918. Private Smith was marched out to his Unit on 26th April, 1918 & rejoined 60th Battalion in the Field on 3rd May, 1918.
On 9th August, 1918 Private John Albert Smith was wounded in action. He was admitted to 8th Australian Field Ambulance on 9th August, 1918 with Shrapnel wounds to Back & Abdomen. Private Smith was transferred & admitted to 61st Casualty Clearing Station on 9th August, 1918 then transferred to 20th Casualty Clearing Station in France on 11th August, 1918 then transferred to Ambulance Train on 14th August, 1918. Private Smith was admitted to 54th General Hospital on 15th August, 1918 with shrapnel wounds to Back (penetrating). He was invalided to England on 17th August, 1918 on Hospital Ship Jan Breydel with shrapnel wound/s to right of Abdomen.
He was admitted to Horton (County of London) War Hospital, Epsom, London, England on 17th August, 1918 with shrapnel wound/s to Abdomen. His condition was reported as seriously ill.
Private John Albert Smith died at 11.20 am on 1st October, 1918 at Horton (County of London) War Hospital, Epsom, London, England from wounds received in action - 1. G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to Back (Septicaemia & Endocarditis) & 2. Septic Pneumonia.
He was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England where around 360 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/s---tr.html
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