MEADE, John
| Service Numbers: | 805, 2347 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 June 1915, Boer War service, 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 15th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Cork, Ireland, 1 May 1871 |
| Home Town: | Blackall, Blackall Tambo, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | shearer |
| Died: | Windsor, Brisbane, Queensland, 17 December 1947, aged 76 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Monumental Portion 5 |
| Memorials: |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 805, 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| 24 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2347, 15th Infantry Battalion, Boer War service, 1st Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Aug 1915: | Embarked Private, 2347, 15th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Sydney | |
| 20 Aug 1915: | Involvement Private, 2347, 15th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Dec 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 2347, 15th Infantry Battalion, 1st MD |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Private Jeremiah “John” Meade (Service Numbers, Boer War 805, WWI 2347), an Australian veteran of the Boer War and World War One, is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with a plaque recognising their service for Australia.
We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 20 September 2025, along with a further 161 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
Private Jeremiah “John” Meade (Boer War Service No. 805; WWI Service No. 2347) was an Irish-born Australian veteran whose military service spanned both the Boer War and the First World War. Born in 1871 in Cork, Ireland, he was the son of John Meade and Norah Meade (née Quirk). His first period of military service began during the Boer War, when he enlisted in the Commonwealth Contingent for Service in South Africa at Brisbane on 21 January 1902. Then aged 30 years and 9 months, he gave his occupation as bush hand and named his sister Annie Meade of Parish, Limerick, as his next of kin.
Following the Boer War, Meade returned to civilian life in Australia and worked primarily as a shearer. More than a decade later, at the age of 44, he again enlisted for military service, joining the Australian Imperial Force on 24 June 1915. He was posted to the 7th Reinforcements of the 15th Battalion and embarked from Sydney aboard the Shropshire on 20 August 1915. Meade served on the Western Front, where he sustained his first major injury on 30 June 1916, receiving a severe gunshot wound to the back in action in France. He was evacuated to England and treated at Duston War Hospital in Northampton and various auxiliary hospitals before returning to his battalion on 17 January 1917.
He resumed active service but was again wounded on 8 August 1916, leading to further medical treatment in England. In July 1917 he suffered additional gunshot wounds to the right shoulder and heel, requiring admission to hospitals in Suffolk and Ipswich. After extended treatment across multiple facilities, he was found medically unfit for further duty. He returned to Australia on 27 September 1917 and was formally discharged from the A.I.F. on 18 December 1917.
On 29 August 1922, John married Edith Emily Parsons, and the couple went on to raise several children. By 1930 they were living in Longreach, Queensland, where John worked in railway construction. In 1934 the family relocated to Emerald, where he was employed as a fettler. By 1936 they had settled in Windsor, Brisbane, where they remained for many years.
Private Jeremiah “John” Meade died on 17 December 1947 at the age of 76 and was buried the following day in Monumental Portion 5 of Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. His wife Edith died in January 1975 aged 81 and was interred with him.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity has now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget.
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