Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Gunner John Denmark Dickinson (Service No:W3759) enlisted in the ACMF in Albany WA on 27 January 1941. In his Attestation Papers he stated he had previously served with the New Zealand Forces, conveying wounded between England and New Zealand. He was attached to 124 Heavy Battery RAA when, on 5 September 1941 he ' collapsed and died at an early hour .... he was on duty at the time and he expired before the arrival of a doctor' (Trove: Kalgoorlie Miner 1941).

Jack was born in Denmark, WA in 1899, eleventh of fourteen children - 10 survived infancy - of Robert Whitlaw Dickinson (b1865 in Lauriston, Victoria) and Mary Ann Collins (b1865 in Melbourne, Victoria). Robert and Mary married in 1885 in Melbourne and in 1889 moved to Denmark, WA with their family. Robert worked as a Labourer and Night Watchman until 1910, when he left his family and moved to Mornington Mills via Wokelup where he worked as a Mill Hand. From 1914 on his whereabouts were unknown to his family - he moved to Perth where he worked as a General Hand. Mary and the children (eight were under fourteen years of age) settled in Albany, where Mary drowned in 1929.

Jack worked as a Steward at the Kendenup Hostel via Albany and as a Farm Labourer in Mt Barker before settling in Albany where he was working as a Bread Carter in 1925 when he married Eva Margaret Bunker (b1904 at Lake View, WA). Jack and Eva settled in Albany where Jack worked as a Bread Carter and Labourer until his death in 1941. Eva later remarried and died in 1988.