Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John (Jack) Flynn #5678 9th Battalion

Jack Flynn was 35 years old when he enlisted on 2nd May 1916.
He gave his address as Spring Hill, Brisbane and nominated his brother, George Flynn of Ashton Street, Coorparoo as his next of kin. It is probable that Jack did not ever live in the Coorparoo district. Documents in the National Archives reveal that Jack came from a large family of four brothers and a sister as well as three half brothers and a half sister. In spite of this large family, the embarkation roll indicates that Jack did not allocate any of his daily pay of five shillings to a relative in Australia, perhaps pointing to his motives for enlisting. The normal rate of pay for a soldier of six shillings a day was far in excess of what Jack could earn as a labourer.

Jack, drafted into the 9th Battalion, departed Brisbane on 22 May 1915 on the “Seang Choon”, in company with reinforcements for a number of other Queensland battalions. During the sea voyage, he was admitted to the ship’s hospital suffering from VD. The reinforcements transhipped at Alexandria for England where Jack was placed in the 9th Training Battalion. Whilst in training, he was charged with being absent from duty for three days and given 7days confined to barracks. Remarkably, his company commander, Captain Ross, described his conduct as “Good” on the charge sheet.

Eventually Jack was shipped to the Training Camp at Etaples but before he could join his unit he was admitted to hospital with mumps. By the time he reached his battalion in December 1916, the 9th was enduring the harshest winter for 40 years. Unsurprisingly, Jack was admitted to hospital suffering from influenza, returning to his unit on 24th February.

In the Spring of 1917, the Germans began a tactical retreat west through the Somme Valley to the heavily defended Hindenburg Line which had been constructed during the preceding winter. The 9th Battalion, as part of the 1st Division pursued the withdrawing enemy divisions from Bapaume towards Bullecourt. The battalion diary for 22nd April 1917 recorded “ Morchies. Fine day. Enemy artillery much above normal. Barrage across front line. Our casualties eight killed.”

One of the fatal casualties was Jack Flynn. It appears that he was buried in an isolated grave 5 miles northeast of Bapaume, probably by his comrades. The ground around Bapaume would be fought over twice more during the course of the war and it was remarkable that Jack’s grave survived until at the conclusion of hostilities; the Imperial War Graves Commission began to consolidate isolated burials into larger permanent cemeteries. Jack Flynn’s final resting place is the Queant Road Cemetery near Bullecourt.

When war medals were being issued, Jack’s next of kin (brother George) had moved from Coorparoo to Newstead. George received the sum of eight pounds which was the amount of Jack’s deferred pay but his medals, Empire Medal and Victory Medal were issued to his eldest brother Harry.