SHORROCK, Joseph
| Service Number: | 15733 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 March 1916, Joseph Shorrock had served with 4th East Lancashire Territorials in England for 5 years. |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 7th Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Moghton, North Preston, Lancashire, England., 23 July 1883 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Blacksmith |
| Died: | Died of Disease, County Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans, England , United Kingdom, 21 October 1918, aged 35 years |
| Cemetery: |
Hoghton (Holy Trinity) Churchyard Hoghton (Holy Trinity) Churchyard Cemetery (in new ground, south of Church), Lancashire, England, Hoghton (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Hoghton, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sapper, 15733, Field Company Engineers, Joseph Shorrock had served with 4th East Lancashire Territorials in England for 5 years. | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 1916: | Involvement Sapper, 15733, Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Marathon embarkation_ship_number: A74 public_note: '' | |
| 31 Oct 1916: | Embarked Sapper, 15733, Field Company Engineers, HMAT Marathon, Sydney | |
| 8 Apr 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 7th Field Company Engineers | |
| 3 Nov 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sapper, 15733, 7th Field Company Engineers, Third Ypres, SW right thigh and arm | |
| 21 Oct 1918: | Involvement Sapper, 15733, 7th Field Company Engineers, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 15733 awm_unit: 7th Field Company, Australian Engineers awm_rank: Sapper awm_died_date: 1918-10-21 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK
Died on this date - 21st October.....Joseph Shorrock was born at Hoghton, near Blackburn, Lancashire, England in 1893.
Joseph Shorrock had served with 4th East Lancashire Territorials in England for 5 years.
Joseph Shorrock enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 6th March, 1916 (at Bathurst, NSW) as a 32 year old Blacksmith from Marrickville, Sydney, NSW. He was transferred to Engineer Reinforcements on 27th May, 1916.
Sapper Joseph Shorrock embarked from Sydney on HMAT Marathon (A74) on 31st October, 1916 & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 9th January, 1917.
Sapper Joseph Shorrock was marched in from Australia with Reinforcements to Australian Details 6 & 7 Camps at Perham Downs, Wiltshire, England on 10th January, 1917.
Australian Engineers in the First World War
Engineers, also known as sappers, were essential to the running of the war. Without them, other branches of the Allied Forces would have found it difficult to cross the muddy and shell-ravaged ground of the Western Front. Their responsibilities included constructing the lines of defence, temporary bridges, tunnels and trenches, observation posts, roads, railways, communication lines, buildings of all kinds, showers and bathing facilities, and other material and mechanical solutions to the problems associated with fighting in all theatres.
Sapper Joseph Shorrock proceeded overseas to France on 20th March, 1917 & joined 7th Field Company Engineers on 8th April, 1917 at the Front.
Sapper Shorrock was sent sick to Hospital on 1st August, 1917. He rejoined his Unit in Belgium on 1st November, 1917.
Sapper Joseph Shorrock was wounded in action in Belgium on 3rd November, 1917. He was invalided to England on Hospital Ship Princess Elizabeth on 8th November, 1917 & admitted to Central Military Hospital at Chatham on 8th November, 1917 with shrapnel wounds to right thigh. He was discharged to furlough & was to report to Sutton Veny on 18th January, 1918.
Sapper Shorrock was absent without leave from furlo on 18th January, 1918. He was marched in to No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire on 22nd January, 1918.
Sapper Shorrock was transferred to Engineers Training Depot at Brightlingsea on 10th May, 1918. He was written up for an Offence “Failing to obey Camp Standing Orders (edited).” He was awarded 14 days FP No.2 (Field Punishment) on 15th July, 1918.
Sapper Shorrock was admitted to General Military Hospital, Colchester on 23rd July, 1918 with Delusional Insanity. He was transferred on 26th July, 1918 to Norfolk War Hospital with Delusion of Insanity Acute. Sapper Shorrock was transferred to County of Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans on 26th September, 1918.
Sapper Joseph Shorrock died at 3.20 pm on 21st October, 1918 at County Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St. Albans, England from General Paralysis of the Insane. (Some discrepancy exists as to the date of death - some forms have date as 23rd October, 1918) The Admissions to Hospital form which is completed by the Officer in Charge of the case has the following details – “Pupils unequal; speech slurred; paresis of lower legs; habits dirty; development of abcesses; emaciation (?) died 21-10-18.)
Sapper Joseph Shorrock was buried in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Hoghton, Lancashire, England.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/hoghton.html
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