HURDIS, John
| Other Name: | Hurdis, Jonathan John - Birth Records |
|---|---|
| Service Number: | 2818 |
| Enlisted: | 23 June 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 54th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wedderburn, New South Wales, Australia, 1896 |
| Home Town: | Kogarah, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Alexandria Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Farm Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Nowra Soldiers Memorial, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2818 | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2818, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Argyllshire embarkation_ship_number: A8 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 54th Infantry Battalion, The 2nd Battalion was split to create the 54th Battalion in the 5th Division as part of the 'doubling' of the AIF, that took place in Egypt as the 1st and 2nd Divisions returned from Gallipoli. | |
| 4 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 54th Infantry Battalion, The 2nd Battalion was split to create the 54th Battalion in the 5th Division as part of the 'doubling' of the AIF, that took place in Egypt as the 1st and 2nd Divisions returned from Gallipoli. | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2818, 54th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2818 awm_unit: 54th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 |
Potential link between AIF soldier's skull and his brother, lost at Fromelles
Extract from 'The Guardian' on-line article. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/29/us-museum-under-fire-over-display-of-skull-of-australian-soldier
Private (Thomas) Hurdis’s younger brother John went missing, presumed dead, along with hundreds of other AIF soldiers, in what is regarded as the blackest day in Australian military history – the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916, which claimed 5,553 Australian casualties including 1,917 dead and 470 prisoners.
It is possible that if the skull is, in fact, that of Private (Thomas) Hurdis it could be used to identify through DNA, John Hurdis, if his body is among those that authorities have found in mass graves at Pheasant Wood near Fromelles, but were unable to positively ID.
Submitted 15 October 2017 by Steve Larkins
Click images to start slideshow.