John Thomas KLOSS

KLOSS, John Thomas

Service Number: 3859
Enlisted: 7 September 1915, Adelaide, South Australia
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 50th Infantry Battalion
Born: Petersburg, South Australia, 12 March 1899
Home Town: Prospect, Prospect, South Australia
Schooling: Petersburg, Port Wakefield, and Blackrock schools
Occupation: Farm Hand
Died: Killed in Action, Belgium, 19 October 1917, aged 18 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient), Peterborough St Anacletus Catholic Church Honour Board WW1, Prospect Roll of Honour A-G WWI Board, Quorn Remembrance of Those Who Served in the Great War Honour Board
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World War 1 Service

7 Sep 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3859, Adelaide, South Australia
7 Feb 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3859, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1,

--- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Miltiades embarkation_ship_number: A28 public_note: ''

7 Feb 1916: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3859, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Miltiades, Adelaide
2 Apr 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 50th Infantry Battalion
29 Jul 1916: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3859, 13th Machine Gun Company, Battle for Pozières
19 Oct 1917: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3859, 50th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres

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Biography

Pte. J. T. Kloss enlisted on 07 Sep 1915 while still aged only 16. His younger brother 2178 Pte. Leo Anton Kloss (/explore/people/228646) had enlisted three months earlier, still two weeks shy of his 15th birthday. Leo Kloss was killed in action in France on 04 Aug 1916, just a little over 16 years of age.  

"Private J. T. KLOSS, second son of Mrs. J. Kloss, of Farrant-street, Prospect, was killed in action somewhere in France on October 19. He was educated at Petersburg, Port Wakefield, and Blackrock schools, and spent 12 months on the West Coast. He enlisted on September 7, 1915, and sailed for Egypt in February 1916, with the 9th Reinforcements of 27th Battalion. He helped to guard the Suez Canal, and with the 50th Battalion left for France in June, 1916. He was invalided to England with trench feet, but returned to duty in France in June, 1916. His brother was killed some time ago. Private Kloss was highly esteemed. He enlisted at the age of 16 years and 11 months." - from the Adelaide Advertiser 13 Nov 1917 (nla.gov.au)

 

His brother, 2178 Private Leo Kloss of the  27th Battalion AIF was killed in action on 4 August 191.

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