JOHNSTON, Douglas Gordon
| Service Number: | 2124 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Oakbank, South Australia , 6 February 1893 |
| Home Town: | Oakbank, Adelaide Hills, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Oakbank State School, Hahndorf and St Peter's Colleges, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk with the Bank of Adelaide |
| Died: | GSW thigh Noreuil, France. Post Mortem recorded cause of death - Heart failure caused by empyema & anaesthetic, 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England , United Kingdom, 5 May 1917, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom (Row C, Grave No. 3638) |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, Oakbank Memorial Garden, Oakbank Old Scholars Roll of Honor, Woodside District of Onkaparinga Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2124, 50th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 2124, 50th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 2124, 50th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide | |
| 7 Apr 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2124, 50th Infantry Battalion, Bullecourt (First), GSW to knee/thigh, Noreuil, France. DOW 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
'Remembered' at Inverbrackie Cemetery SA
From the book Fallen Saints
Douglas Gordon Johnston was born at Oakbank and lived with his parents and siblings in Oakbank House, a large two-storey home situated on the southern side of the famous Oakbank Racecourse in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. He was educated at the Oakbank State School and the Hahndorf College before attending the Collegiate School of St Peter. After leaving the School in 1910, he was a clerk with the Bank of Adelaide until he enlisted for service in the AIF on 19 August 1915.
Douglas was held in transit at B Company 2nd Depot Battalion, Adelaide until 16 October when he joined the 8th quota of reinforcements for the 27th Battalion.
Throughout all of November and December, he attended an NCO course and was promoted to sergeant on 1 January 1916; two weeks later, he was made provisional Company Sergeant Major of C Company 2nd Depot Battalion.
At the end of January, acting Sergeant Johnston was posted to Duntroon (probably as an instructor) until 16 June when he joined the 4th quota of reinforcement for the 50th Battalion at Mitcham Camp; he sailed from Adelaide with that quota aboard HMAT Ballarat on 12 August.
He disembarked at Devonport, England in late September and joined the 13th Training Battalion at Codford where 4 October he was appointed to the rank of provost sergeant.
In January 1917, he embarked for France and there joined the 50th Battalion towards the end of the month.
During the fighting at Noreuil on 2 April, he was severely wounded and following admittance to the 13th Stationary Hospital was treated for wounds to his head, knee, hand, as well as exhaustion and Pneumonia.
On 26 April, he was evacuated to England aboard HS St Denis, and admitted to 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge where on 5 May 1917 he died of heart failure caused by empyema and anaesthetic; he was 24 years of age.
Ten days after he died a kindly visitor left the following brief note with a Red Cross representative at the Hospital.
He had many friends in this country and we hope that it will be somewhat of a comfort to his mother to know how three or four old family friends saw a good deal of him and almost at the end when to us all, he seemed so bright and so likely to recover. [i]
[i] Australian War Memorial, Australian Red Cross wounded and missing enquiry bureau files – Johnston, Douglas Gordon / 1450506, viewed 2 November 2005
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Douglas Gordon Johnston was born at Oakbank, South Australia on 6th February, 1893 to parents Andrew Deans Johnston and Effie Florence Johnston (nee James).
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 19th August, 1915 as a 22 year old, single, Bank Clerk (with the Bank of Adelaide) from Oakbank House, Oakbank, South Australia.
On 19th August, 1915 Private Douglas Gordon Johnston was posted to “B” Company for recruit training. (Statement of Service form states “G” Company, 2nd Depot Battalion). He was transferred to 8th Reinforcements of 27th Battalion on 16th October, 1915 then N.C.O. from 1st November, 1915. Sergeant Johnston was posted to “C” Company, 2nd Depot Battalion from 1st January, 1916 then was posted as Company Sergeant Major from 16th January, 1916.
Douglas Gordon Johnston was posted to 2nd Military District – Duntroon Officers’ School from 22nd January, 1916.
He was posted to “C” Company on 16th June, 1916 then transferred to 4th Reinforcements of 50th Battalion on 16th June, 1916.
Private Douglas Gordon Johnston, Service number 2124, embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on HMAT Ballarat (A70) on 12th August, 1916 with the 4th Reinforcements & disembarked at Devonport, England then entrained to Codford, Wiltshire arriving at 6 pm on 30th September, 1916.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
On 30th September, 1916 Lance Sergeant Johnston was with 50th Battalion and reverted to the rank of Private on marching in to 13th Training Battalion at Codford, Wiltshire.
He was promoted to Sergeant (Provost) from 4th October, 1916 with extra duty pay.
Sergeant (Provost) Douglas Gordon Johnston was written up for an Offence Overstaying leave from 1 am to 8.30 am on 9th October, 1916. He was reprimanded & forfeited 1 days’ pay.
On 14th December, 1916 Sergeant (Provost) Johnston reverted to the rank of Corporal (Provost) & was appointed Lance Sergeant on 14th December, 1916. Lance Sergeant Johnston was to be Provost Sergeant (E.D.P. – Extra Duty Pay) from 1st January, 1917, while posted at Codford. He was Acting Sergeant until 16th January, 1917.
He proceeded overseas via Folkestone on S.S. Princess Victoria on 16th January, 1917 from 13th Training Battalion. Acting Sergeant Johnston arrived at Base - 4th A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Etaples, France from England on 17th January, 1917 & reverted back to rank of Private on marching in to 4th A.D.B.D.. He was taken on strength of 50th Battalion in the Field on 28th January, 1917.
Private Douglas Gordon Johnston was wounded in action on 2nd April, 1917. He was admitted to 4th Australian Field Ambulance on 2nd April, 1917 with gunshot wounds to knee. Private Johnston was transferred to 9th Casualty Clearing Station on 3rd April, 1917 with gunshot wounds to knee & head then transferred to Ambulance Train. Private Johnston was admitted to 13th Stationary Hospital at Boulogne, France on 4th April, 1917. He embarked for England on 26th April, 1917 on Hospital Ship St. Denis.
From the War Diary of 50th Battalion:
Casualties - 5 Officers Killed, 2 Officers wounded & 3 Officers Missing
91 Other Ranks Killed, 4 Died of Wounds, 163 Other Ranks Wounded, 4 wounded but still with Battalion & 88 Other Ranks Missing.
Mrs E. Johnston, of Oakbank, South Australia, was advised on 22nd April, 1917 that Private Douglas Johnston had been admitted to Hospital on 5th April with gunshot wound to head & knee & his condition was listed as dangerous.
On 27th April, 1917 Private Johnston was admitted to 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England with gunshot wounds to leg.
A Medical Report was completed on Private Douglas Gordon Johnston while a patient at 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge (date recorded as 4._ (?). 17). Private Johnston’s disability was listed as Pneumonia & GSW Thigh. The Report states that he was wounded April 2, 1917 at Bapaume & Pneumonia April 3, 1917. Private Johnston was “Wounded - very exhausted. Pneumonia supervened”. He had a “bullet wound above right knee….. no TB found”. The Medical Board recommended that Private Johnston be discharged as permanently unfit.
Mrs E. Johnston, of Oakbank, South Australia, was advised on 1st May, 1917 that Private Douglas Johnston was pronounced out of danger.
Private Douglas Gordon Johnston died on 5th May, 1917 at 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.
A Post Mortem was conducted by Captain W. Malden, Pathologist. “Rather thin man, not emaciated, no marks of ext. violence. Thorax – no obstruction in air passages. Rt. Lung much bound down by fine adhesions principally on diaphragm & to ribs behind. Large empyema cavity containing many pints of thick pus and lymph. Lung very collapsed, containing very little air. Heart – exposed surface much enlarged and deviated to left of sternum two inches outside nipple line. On opening pericardium, a good deal of clean pericardial fluid escaped. Rt. side of heart lying in front nearly covered the left side except at extreme apex. Rt side of heart very dilated, auricle wall much thickened also ventricle wall. Valves normal. Left side of heart appeared normal. Diaphragm and liver depressed by collection of pus in thorax”. Cause of death was from Heart failure caused by empyema & anaesthetic.
He was buried in Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/city.html
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