Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The son of George David LOCKWOOD and Alice DIXON, christened Ebeneezer John Lockwood, he was known universally as 'John' with his first given name ommitted from all records.

He had twin older brothers,  George David Lockwood and John Fenn Halford Lockwood both of whom died within days of one another less than one month old in 1882.   His parents later moved to Victoria and had a number of other children detailed in the family web page.

John Lockwood had a number of relatives who also served - see end of narrative

When war broke out in August 1914, John Lockwood was an upholsterer living at 2 Clara Street Norwood, an eastern subsurb of Adelaide,  He was 30 years of age and married to Janet Linwood PARK of Broken Hill.  They had married in 1911.  She is listed as his Next of Kin.

He enlisted in the following year, on July 26th 1915, and was thus a "Fair Dinkum". This was the term applied to the men who enlisted in the immediate aftermath of the Gallipoli landings, and in full knowledge of the casualty lists that were promulgated as a result. They were under no illusions that the war was some kind of adventure. Rather, it was deadly serious, so it was judged that enlistees from this point were "Fair Dinkum".

He was an acting Sergeant by the time he embarked for service overseas. His age maturity and leadership attributes would have contributed to his selection for this role. Like many men of that generation he was a member of a rifle club, and so, one presumes, had a degree of mastery in one of a soldier's most important skills. 

After sailing via Suez with the 7th reinforcements on the HMAT A7 'Medic', he joined 'B' Company of the 27th Battalion at Armentieres in northern France on 1 June 1916. At this stage the Second Division, to which the 27th belonged, was in what was euphemistically known as "The Nursery"; a quiet part of the Front in which the Australian Divisions, recently arrived from the Middle East, could be introduced to the nature of Trench Warfare. They weren't there for long though.

Shortly afterwards, they moved to the Somme and from late July the 27th and the other units of the Second Division were committed to the assault on Pozieres. An attached record indicates that John Lockwood was in the first wave assaults. The 27th Battalion captured and occupied the ground around the Windmill, the dominating feature of the Pozieres battlefield, before being relieved by the 48th Battalion of the 4th Division, which was coincidentally comprised largely of South and Western Australians. Both units suffered fearful casualties.

John Lockwood fought in the maelstrom at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm, and then through the catalogue of 27th Battalion engagements. They moved to Belgium briefly in September / October 1916 and returned to the Somme where they were engaged in heavy fighting around Flers in November 1916 as the worst winter in living memory descended on the Western Front..

He was promoted to Temporary Sergeant in December 1916 and confirmed Substantive Sergeant in February 1917.  

In March 1917, he was again in action at Warlancourt, north east of Flers, as the Germans withdrew to the Hindenburg line. Warlancourt was a key point on the line because the stop butts of an old rifle range commanded excellent visibility of the entire area.

He was awarded the Military Medal for his actions during this battle (see stories and images).

Further north the 27th Battalion was again in action at Second Bullecourt in May 1917.  He was promoted to Warrant Officer Class II / Company Sergeant Major.

After time out of the line with the 7th Training Battalion in the  UK as Regimental Sergeant Major he returned to the fray with the 27th Battalion at Morlancourt in June 1918.

In August 1918 the great Allied offensive began, and John Lockwood, as a Company Sergeant Major, fought with the Battalion through in the initial part of the "Hundred Days" campaign to the culminating point of the war for the 27th Battalion when it was part of "the greatest feat of Arms of the War" (General Sir Henry Rawlinson, British Commander of the Fourth Army of which the Australian Corps was a major part), the capture of Mont St Quentin and Peronne by the Second and Fifth Divisions under General Monash. This action completely dislocated the German Defences of the Hindenburg line.

He was wounded in action on the 30th August but his records how that he 'remained at duty', which presumably meant he was treated at the Battalion Regimental Aid Post but judged for duty.

Two days later John Lockwood was wounded for a second time and much more seriously.  He sustained a  gunshot wound to the chest on 2 September 1918 in the final stages of fighting around Mont St Quentin. He was recovering in hospital when the war ended on 11th November 1918. He embarked for Australia on HMAT 'Gaika' returning to Australia via Panama. He discharged in August 1919. He joined the RSL in 1919, Badge number SA 5996. Later in life he moved to 26 Edward St Norwood which as far as we can tell is where he "passed away suddenly at home", on the 25th August 1972, aged 88 years.

There is a reference to him possibly having lived in Sydney during the 1930s in the family website described below but this is not congruent with other records. 

RSL records contain NoK details – he was married at the time of enlistment to Alice Linwood nee PARK and they had a son John David born 8 May 1912 in Evandale (Erindale?) 

Awarded Military Medal

British War Medal 9642

Victory Medal 9578

He had a number of cousins engaged in WW1 as well: 

3476 Clement Archie SCOTT 50th Battalion (warmemorial.erato.vm.e2.com.au) RTA 5th April 1919.

1980 Pte Kenneth Lancelot SCOTT, 27th Bn, killed in action, 9 October 1917; a third as yet unidentified brother of the above (returned to Australia);

1761 Pte George Hislop LOCKWOOD, 16th Bn (warmemorial.erato.vm.e2.com.au), killed in action, 11 April 1917.  

This narrative compiled from

Uni SA  27 Bn project

WO2 John Lockwood's NAA personal service record,

AWM records,

a Lockwood family website http://www.lockwoodons.webspace.virginmedia.com/lockwooduk024/d6.htm (www.lockwoodons.webspace.virginmedia.com)

RSL Membership records and related documentation.

Funeral notice: ex. 27th Battalion W.15-19 A.I.C.P.M.F. 40-44

Contributed by Steve Larkins RSL SA