John Robert (Jack) BIGLANDS

BIGLANDS, John Robert

Service Number: 2240
Enlisted: 4 October 1915
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 32nd Infantry Battalion
Born: Semaphore, South Australia, Australia , 19 November 1887
Home Town: Glanville, South Australia
Schooling: LeFever Peninsula State School, Port Adelaide, South Australia
Occupation: Driver
Died: Suicide , Hurdcott Camp, England, United Kingdom, 1 February 1917, aged 29 years
Cemetery: Baverstock (St. Edith) Churchyard
INSCRIPTION WHATEVER JOY OR GRIEF BE OURS DEAR JACK WE ALWAYS THINK OF YOU
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

4 Oct 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private
16 Mar 1916: Involvement Private, 2240, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: ''
16 Mar 1916: Embarked Private, 2240, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Anchises, Adelaide
1 Feb 1917: Involvement Private, 2240, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2240 awm_unit: 32nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-02-01

Help us honour John Robert Biglands's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Robert Kearney

His Cousin Private 4735 William James Biglands of the 50th Battalion was killed in action at Polygon Wood, Belgium on 27 September 1917

Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon

He was 29 and the son of George and Margaret Biglands; husband of Christina Florence Bigland, of Montpelier Square, Portland, South Australia.

Biography contributed by Evan Evans

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK

Died on this date - 1st February........Private John Robert Biglands was born at Semaphore, South Australia in 1887. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 4th October, 1915 as a 28 year old, married, Driver from Glanville, South Australia.

Private Biglands embarked from Adelaide on 16th March, 1916 with 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 15th Reinforcements & arrived in Egypt on 15th April, 1916. He was transferred to Artillery Details at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt on 15th May, 1916.

Private Biglands embarked from Alexandria on 28th May, 1916 bound for England.

Private Biglands was AWL (Absent without leave) from Larkhill, WIltshire from 21.30hrs on 1st July, 1916 to 21.30hrs on 15th July, 1916. He was charged also with falsifying a leave pass. Awarded 28 days detention. Total forfeiture 43 days pay.
Private Biglands was admitted to Fovant Hospital, Wiltshire on 24th December, 1916 suffering from influenza. He returned to duty on 24th January, 1917 after being discharged from hospital with mumps.

A Court Martial was held on 30th January, 1917 - Private Biglands had been charged with "when on active service absenting himself without leave at Hurdcott from 08.00hrs on 5th November, 1916 till apprehended at London by the Military Police at 22.50 hrs on 30th November, 1916". Pleaded guilty. Found guilty. He was sentenced to 60 days Detention. Total forfeiture 87 days’ pay.

Private John Robert Biglands died at 10.30 p.m. on 1st February, 1917 at Guard Room at No. 11 Camp, Hurdcott, Wiltshire from self-inflicted wounds (Throat cut). He was buried in the churchyard of St. Edith’s at Baverstock, Wiltshire along with 28 other WW1 Australian Soldiers.
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/baverstock.html

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