Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Distinguished Conduct Medal

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in charge of telephone communication. When a signal station near to his position was destroyed by shell fire he showed great promptness and resource in dealing with the situation. He laid a new line, and was the means of re-establishing communication with as little delay as possible. He has always shown great skill and determination at his work.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 137
Date: 30 August 1918

AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION.
HONOR GAINED
It is offcially announced that the D.C..M. has been conferred on
Corporal John L. Monusey for gallant military conduct. The recipient of this honor wah born at Allendale, and is 27 years of age, being the eldest son of Mr Fletcher Mounsey, and grandson of the late John Sloan and the late Lancelot Mounsey, all of whom were assocoiated with Allendale for many years. At the time of his enlistment this young soldier was a prominent metropolitan sportsman and athlete, being connected with the Fitzroy Football Club and Mercantile Rowing Club, whilst he was engaged in the public service as a
telegrphist in the G.P.O. Melbourne. He embarked for the front in December, with the Signal Company attached to Colonel Tivey's Brigade, which was stationed several months on the Suez Canal, where the conflict withthe Turks afforded him considerable military experience. Later on the brigade proceeded to France, where he has been on almost constant service ever since in the firing lines on signal telephone and telegraphic duty, which demands that regular communication must be maintained between the front trenches find the military bases at the rear; consequently he has been actively engaged in most of the fierce conflicts that have earned such distinction for the Australians. The experience that gained for him the D.C.M. was at Bullecourt in May last, when he was concealed for six days and nights in a dugout, keeping up an interupted communication with the various bases while the Germans poured an incessant rain of gas shells, the fumes of which, fortunately, did not overpower him as it did so many of his comrades. Being granted furlough he subsequently entered an officers' school at Dunstable, in England, where he qualified for a commissionbe fore returning to the front. His younger brother, Private Alex. Mounsey, enlisted much earl ier, and was engaged on military service in Gallipoli, till the evacuation, when he embarked for France, and his , experiences
have been of a most chequered character, for time after time he
has returned to the trenches after being invalided for hernia, trench
feet, and shell shock, and he has finally developed "fatigue fever,"
which will mean his early return home.