SMITH, John Joseph
| Service Number: | 4305 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 30 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 13th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wolumla, New South Wales, Australia , 29 August 1888 |
| Home Town: | Wolumla, Bega Valley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Wolumla Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in action, Gueudecourt, France, 4 February 1917, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 30 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4305, 13th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 4305, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 4305, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney |
Help us honour John Joseph Smith's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
John Joseph Smith was known as ‘Jack’ to his family and friends. His father was also John Joseph Smith and was a respected pioneer dairy farmer of the town of Wolumla, near Merimbula, New South Wales. His mum was Helena Smith.
John fought at Pozieres and was badly wounded on 29 August 1916. He was evacuated to England with a gunshot wound to his shoulder and back. He rejoined his battalion at the front in mid-January 1917.
Jack Smith was killed in action just over a fortnight later, on 4 February 1917, during a successful attack on Stormy Trench at Gueudecourt. The fight was famous in amongst survivors of the 13th Battalion, because it was a hard won battle and Captain Harry Murray oof the unit was awarded a Victoria Cross for his gallantry on the night.
John was said to have been killed by a piece of shrapnel, the man who witnessed it was from his home town of Wolumla, 4130 Lance Corporal John Atkins, who stated, “He was killed by a piece of shell-I was only a few yards away, but could not stop to examine him. Stretcher bearer told me that he was killed outright- they took him out and buried him in a Military Cemetery, but I could not say where. He was a neighbour of mine and lived at Wolumla, South Coast, New South Wales.”
John Joseph Smith has no known grave but his parents did receive a few of personal belongings as well as his medals and entitlements.
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