Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Henry Lancelot Stewart  was born in Ballarat Victoria on the 8th of May 1898. John's life as child was the not the most joyful experience his family was poor, although he did a get a decent education but he did up becoming a clerk I believe that John did not love being a clerk and that is why  he enlisted for the war he also wanted to make his parents proud. John fought in world war 1 and 2 and he served as a cadette for four years before hand. John continued his occupation as a clerk after the war. 

Johns physical appearance was described as fresh his height was 5 feet 71/2 inches, he weighed 140lbs and a brown hair and blue eyes. His religion was Methodist.

John enlisted in Victoria in 1918 on the 28th of June he was 20 years and 1 month he joined late to war and did not fight on the western front he was an SMTO which is a senior mechanical transport office and his unit was the 4th motor transport section. He trained at Broadmeadows camp and he was in the recruit depot battalion. On the 2/2/19 john was sent to something called taken on strength and then got moved to the Australian Mechanical/Motor Transport Company h was sent to taken on strength about 4 times then moved to different area each time

Although he did not fight on the western front he did travel overseas in travelled to France on the 21st of the 1st 1919. As he travelled here after the war I assume John was there to bring back Australia’s heavy machinery and or fix it. John was very late to start the war so he did not see much in world war 1. As he did return home alive he then enlisted for world war 2. I could not find any crucial information about him fighting in world war 2 but John was very keen to actually- fight for his country.

John did not like to talk about his war stories to his family he kept very quiet about the war, his next of kin was his mother. After John completed world war 1 and possibly world war 2 he moved to Adelaide, South Australia where he soon meet his wife.

Life at war was not the most pleasant time for any soldier. They went through many seasons as they were there for four years they got many diseases some went through shell shock this means they would have nightmares but they thought it was real life and they would start screaming or they thought they were fighting but this was not the worst thing that could happen to you. You got shell shock if you went through Trauma during battle shell shock also effected your ability to reason, sleep, walk or talk.

Trench foot is and was disgusting trench foot was caused by the dirt as the wet water in the trenches and in no man’s land.

In conclusion John Henry Lancelot was a brave man and although he did not fight on the western front he still went to war for his country and that makes him a true Australian.