Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Completed by St Dominic's Priory School

In 1916 a young grocer named John Matthew Hansberry from Jerningham Street, North Adelaide turned nineteen. He walked into the enlistment office on the 18th of September to trade the comfort of his home in Adelaide for the uncertainty of war. After being denied at first for his age, John Matthew was only more determined to embark, eager to serve his country and find an adventure away from home. This decision would later lead to his honourable death in 1918.

Before he joined the war, John lived with his Mother Susan Hansberry on Jerningham Street, Lower North Adelaide. It can be assumed that they had a very close relationship as he left everything to his mother in his will and she was the first to seek out information when she didn’t hear from him during the war, worried for his wellbeing.

His attestation papers state that he was Roman Catholic, unmarried with no children and worked as a grocer in Adelaide. He had light brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion, the last records state that he was 134 lbs (around 60kg) and 5’6 ¾ in height. He had perfect eyesight and was labelled in dental class B.

He embarked on the Seang Bee from Adelaide 10th February 1917 and arrived in Devonport England in early May. He proceeded to France 25th September 1917 and fought He fought bravely in France with the 48th Infantry Battalion as a Private before his death.

John’s death on 15th July 1918 came two years into his service, he was wounded in battle by a gunshot in the face. He was treated at the 6th General Hospital, but unfortunately despite the great efforts of the nursing staff he succumbed to his injuries.

His mother, after not hearing from him for almost five months reached out to find answers. The hospital responded with a letter simply informing Susan Hansberry that it was natural to be nervous and that no formal report had been made around any injury of a John Mathew Hansberry. However, not long after they sent a second letter to Susan informing her of the death of her son. Susan, being a grieving mother, had many questions about her son’s death - wondering if he was in pain when he passed, how long he was hospitalised and whether he had had any last words. She was not provided with many answers, leading us to believe they did not have this information at the time. They were very sympathetic to her loss and urged her to reach out to the commissioners in London but when she finally got some answers there was not much offered to her. She was informed that John was admitted to the hospital on the 13/7/1918 and received all treatment possible before he devastatingly passed only two days later on the 15/7/1918. He was interred to the St Sever Cemetery, Rouen on the 16/7/1918, his grave number  4627