John Hartnell DOWNTON

DOWNTON, John Hartnell

Service Number: 83
Enlisted: 21 August 1914, Sydney, NSW
Last Rank: Lance Corporal
Last Unit: 1st Field Company Engineers
Born: Eden, NSW, 6 December 1893
Home Town: Eden, Bega Valley, New South Wales
Schooling: Eden, Canterbury and Williamstown State Schools
Occupation: Bank Clerk
Died: Concord, Sydney NSW, 10 March 1975, aged 81 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials: Bank of New South Wales Roll of Honour Book
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World War 1 Service

21 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 83, 1st Field Company Engineers, Sydney, NSW
18 Oct 1914: Involvement Lance Corporal, 83, 1st Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: ''
18 Oct 1914: Embarked Lance Corporal, 83, 1st Field Company Engineers, HMAT Afric, Sydney

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Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

JOHN HARTNELL DOWNTON was born at Eden, N.S.W., on 6th December, 1893, the son of Mr. Carey Downton and Mrs. Jane Ann Downton. He went to school at Eden, and to the State Schools in Canterbury and Williamstown, Victoria.

He joined the Bank’s staff at Eden on 18th July, 1910, and was afterwards at the Crookwell Branch. Thence he was transferred to the Head Office, and served with the Southern and Western Inspectors.

Hartnell Downton enlisted in the A.I.F. on 5th August, 1914, and sailed from Australia in October. He served in Egypt, Gallipoli, Sinai and France, and was wounded during one of the Somme battles in August, 1918. After three months in hospital he returned to Australia in 1919. He was at first a sapper in the First Field Company of Engineers; promoted to lancecorporal in September, 1914; corporal on 5th April, 1915; sergeant on 10th June, 1915; orderly-room sergeant in the following August, and staff-sergeant on 24th November, 1916. Hartnell Downton won his commission in August, 1917, being appointed second-lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Battalion, and he was promoted to lieutenant on 24th February, 1918.

Source - Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

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