MCCARTHY, John William
| Service Number: | 5386 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 March 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | New Hindmarsh, SA, 2 September 1894 |
| Home Town: | North Fremantle, Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | North Fremantle State School |
| Occupation: | Draughtsman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 31 August 1916, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Fremantle 849 Memorial, Midland Officers & Contract Surveyors of the Department of Lands & Surveys WA Honour Roll, North Fremantle Cenotaph, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5386, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5386, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5386, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Aeneas, Fremantle |
Summary John William McCarthy
John William McCarthy from Fremantle enlisted in the AIF in February 1916 as a private. His occupation is recorded as a draughtsman. He embarked from Australia in April 1916 with the 17th Reinforcements,16th Battalion, arriving in France June 1916.
He was taken on strength with the battalion on 19th August 1916. By this time the battalion was preparing to move into the line at Pozieres which it did, moving into the line on 28th August 1916 relieving 14th Battalion.
Late in the night of 29th August 1916 the battalion was ordered to attack and take Mouquet Farm. By 30/31st August 1916, 16th Battalion was moved out of the line from Mouquet Farm after heavy fighting and relieved by 47th Battalion.
On the 31st August 1916, Battalion diary records casualties for the second phase of operations as; Officers. Killed 3, Wounded 6, Missing nil. Other ranks; Killed 27. Wounded 144. Missing 51.
Private John McCarthy was one of those men missing, he is recorded as Killed in Action at Mouquet Farm.
He was 21 years of age and has no known grave.
He is remembered on the memorial at Villers Bretonneux, he has not been forgotten.
Submitted 17 August 2019 by Geoff Tilley
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Herbert Clement MCCARTHY and Annie May nee WHITEMAN, John Street, North Fremantle
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