TESMER, John Alfred
| Service Number: | 1448 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 July 1915, Brisbane, Qld. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Brisbane, Qld., 20 January 1894 |
| Home Town: | Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Brisbane, Qld., 11 October 1960, aged 66 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Mount Gravatt Cemetery & Crematorium, Brisbane Monumental 3A - 3 - 59A |
| Memorials: | Coorparoo Roll of Honor, Holland Park Mount Gravatt Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1448, 5th Light Horse Regiment, Brisbane, Qld. | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 1448, 5th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Mashobra embarkation_ship_number: A47 public_note: '' | |
| 4 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 1448, 5th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Mashobra, Sydney |
Help us honour John Alfred Tesmer's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Ian Lang
Son of Johann TESMER and Martha nee TESTER
John Tesmer was a 21 year old farmer when he enlisted on 19th July 1915. He gave his mother’s address at Francis Street, Kangaroo Point as next of kin but it is possible that John was farming in the Mount Gravatt district.
Drafted into the Light Horse, John travelled to Sydney where he embarked on “Mashobra” in October 1915. He arrived in Egypt on 1st March 1916 and was posted to the 5th Light Horse. The Light Horse Brigades were employed in Egypt initially in defending the Suez Canal against a Turkish threat from the Sinai Peninsula. By the end of 1916 this threat had passed and operations moved into southern Palestine. On 2nd November 1916, John transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps where he remained throughout 1917 and early 1918. Once the Turkish stronghold of Gaza had been taken, the British forces in Palestine moved into the Jordan valley for an advance on Jerusalem and ultimately onto Damascus.
In July 1918 as the campaigns in Palestine were coming to an end, John transferred back to his original unit, the 5th Light Horse. Two and a half years of constant campaigning had taken a toll on his health and he was hospitalised several times with malaria and influenza.
At the cessation of hostilities in the Middle East, John Tesmer remained in Egypt until August 1919 when he was repatriated back to Australia. He was discharged in Brisbane on 20th November 1919 having served four years and four months.
Click images to start slideshow.