Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

COLONEL JOHN EDWARD CHRISTOE (1884 – 1943)

12 March 1884 Born Maryborough, Qld to Charles Penrose Christoe and Julia Eugenie Cuvet
[Madame Christoe]
16 August 1909 (Age 25) Appointed 2 nd Lieutenant, Wide Bay Regiment, Qld
1 July 1912 (Age 28) 4 th Infantry, Wide Bay, Qld
23 December 1912 Appointed Lieutenant 4 th Infantry, Wide Bay, Qld
16 November 1913 (Age 29) Seconded HO Area 4B, Maryborough, Qld
1 June 1914 (Age 30) Appointed Captain
9 November 1914 Short Course (Infantry) at Duntroon
16 March 2015 (Age 31) A&I Staff at £375 per annum
16 April 2015 Appointed Acting Brigade Major 3 rd Brigade Area
27 July 1915 Short Course (Musketry) at Enoggera
1 April 1916 (Age 32) Appointed Captain 41 st Battalion AIF
16 May 1916 Embarked for active service abroad
20 July 1916 Disembarked Plymouth, England
24 November 1916 Embarked Southampton to France
11 March 1917 Appointed Major 41 st Battalion AIF [Noted as Unmarried at the time]
21 March 1917 (Age 33) JEC blown up and buried by a shell explosion at Ploegsteert (“Plugstreet”),
West Flanders in Belgium and admitted to a temporary field hospital. [This
could have been during the failed Nivelle offensive against the Germans
which preceeded the successful and famous Battle of Messines which
commenced on 7 June 1917, which in turn led to successful battles at Ypres
and Passchendaele.] [Note that JEC must have come within inches of being
killed by the enemy shell, in which case none of the current Christoe/Trumbull
extended clan would exist.]
29 March 1917 JEC rejoined the 41 st Battalion [eight days recuperation clearly wasn’t
enough, as subsequent events would show]
6 June 1917 Allies subjected to a gas attack by the Germans on Ploegsteert Wood,
causing between 500 and 2,000 casualties. [Nan told me that her father had
been exposed to gas during WW1 so this was probably when it occurred.]
23 June 1917 JEC suffers a severe GSW (gun shot wound) to the right shoulder at
Messines.
24 June 1917 Evacuated to the 14 th General Hospital at Boulogne, France.
30 June 2017 JEC evacuated to England on “Saint Patrick” and admitted to the the 3 rd
London General Hospital. He recovered from the GSW but was diagnosed
with shell shock, concussion, tremors, loss of memory and inability to
concentrate as a result of being blown up at Ploegsteert three months earlier
[and subsequently being gassed and shot]. Estimated that he would be
incapacitated in terms of AIF service for 6 ½ months.
15 July 1917 Discharged from the 3 rd London General Hospital and embarked for Australia
the next day from Avonmouth.
13 September 1917 Disembarked “Kanowna” in 2 nd Military District for 1 st Military District in
Australia
18 October 1917 Invalid discharge from 41 st Battalion AIF
30 January 1918 JEC Invalid Pension of £2/7/6 per fortnight granted to his wife, Phoebe Lois
Christoe [ex Goldsmid, born 1893 in Singleton, NSW]. [This is the first time
JEC’s army records note that he is married. Hence JEC and Ninny were
likely married between 13 September 1917 and 30 January 1918.]
13 May 1918 (Age 34) Returned to army service in a temporary role at South Brisbane, Qld
16 September 1918 Resumed duty with 4 th Infantry, Wide Bay, Qld
1 October 1918 Transferred to 2 nd Battalion, 15 th Infantry (Oxley Regiment)
5 April 1920 (Age 36) JEC and Phoebe have twins – Nancy Penrose Christoe and Geoffrey Albert
Christoe. Home was “Moortangi”, Enderley Road, Clayfield, Brisbane.
31 March 1921 (Age 37) To 26 th Battalion (new) and appointed Lieutenant Colonel
12 March 1925 (Age 41) Transferred to Unattached List
16 January 1929 (Age 44) Appointed to command 15 th Battallion
1 July 1929 (Age 45) Appointed to command 11 th Infantry Brigade and promoted to Colonel
1 August 1930 (Age 46) Appointed to command 7 th Infantry Brigade as Colonel
1 October 1933 (Age 49) Appointed ADC (Aide-de-Camp) to the Governor General of Australia, the
Right Hon Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs GCB BCMG
1 August 1934 (Age 50) Returned to command of the 7 th Infantry Brigade
1 August 1935 (Age 51) Transferred to Unattached List
1 October 1936 (Age 52) Appointed ADC (Aide-de-Camp) to the Governor General of Australia,
Brigadier General the Right Hon Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1 st
Baron Gowrie VC GCMG CB DSO PC (later 1 st Earl of Gowrie)
30 September 1937 (Age 53) Relinquishes appointment as ADC and commences a successful business
career with Brett & Co, Wharf Street, Brisbane
1943 (Age 59) Passes.