18923
FAIRLIE, John
| Service Number: | 2143 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 17 December 1886 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Porter with South Australian Railways |
| Died: | Pooraka, 20 October 1972, aged 85 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, S.A. Railway Goods Dept. Mile End Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2143, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2143, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 2143, 27th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
John Fairlie was born on 17 December 1886, in Adelaide, South Australia to parents John Fairlie and Margeret Taylor. He was the second oldest child among siblings, Margaret, William, Lillian, Adelaine, Evelyn, Leslie and Marjorie. He worked as a Porter with the South Australian Railways. On 23 May 1911, he married Charlotte Marion. Four years later, he enlisted to the A.I.F on 2 June 1915 in Keswick, South Australia, aged 27. As stated in his description, he was 5 feet 7 ¼ inches, weighed 140 lbs, had a chest measurement of 33–35 inches, his complexion was fair, blue eyes, light brown hair, and a tattoo on his right forearm. John's enlistment papers stated that his next of kin was listed as his wife, Charlotte Marrion-Fairlie and affirmed that he followed the religious domination of the Church of England.
Fairlie embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on 21 September 1915 on the troopship HMAT Star of England. John and his comrades arrived at Aden where he was a part of the 27th Battalion, before sailing up the Suez Canal to Egypt. The 27th battalion was made up of roughly 1,000 men and formed part of the 7th Brigade. They travelled to camps at Maadi and Mena located along the Nile, where they trained for six days a week, while preparing the Western Front for warfare, including learning how to use new weapons including the 303 Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet, and deal with poison gas attacks.
Fairlie was taken on strength to Tel-el-Kebir on 12th January 1916 and later, records show him in Ismailia on 3/3/16 where he was found absent without leave from tattoo. He was charged with three days' forfeit pay and awarded 4-day No. 2 Field Punishment. He sembarked Alexandria, Egypt to Marseilles, France on 13/3/16 arriving 21/3/16. On 21/7/16, he was found drunk while on active service and awarded 4 days No.2 Field Punishment. On the 11/11/16, he was sick and taken to hospital. On 8/12/16, he was finally admitted with Bronchitis. He rejoined the battalion on 2/2/17. He was sick several times after this date with fevers and diseases, one of which being enteritis.
He went on leave to England on 20/7/17 and rejoined the battalion from leave on 31/7/17, where he was later appointed Lance Corporal on 4/10/17 in Belgium. At this time, he played a formative role in the major actions at Menin Road and Broodseinde Ridge at the eastern end of the Gheluvelt plateau.
Around late to early August 1918, Fairlie was admitted and transferred to various hospitals, rotating from being sick and being admitted to casualty stations. He moved through different places including Lance, Rowan, and eventually England. Specific hospitals mentioned include Northamptonshire W. Hospital and 1st Auxiliary Hospital Hayfield, ranging from late July 1918 to October 1918 during this hospitalization period.
The war ended on 11/11/1918, where he moved from Weymouth to the Training Department at Sutton Veny. He was discharged four months later, 15/3/1919. After the war he had two children, Elva Margaret Fairlie (1927-2003) and Gladys Evelyn Fairlie (1929-1933) where they had a home on Penda Street, Kilkenny, South Australia. He lived to the age of 85 and passed away on 20 October 1972 in his hometown of Pooraka, South Australia. He, alongside his wife (1886-1972) were buried in Enfield Memorial Park, where their joint headstone remains.