John Frank ZWALSMANN

John Frank ZWALSMANN Update Details

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S10654

ZWALSMANN, John Frank

Service Number:	3541
Enlisted:	27 July 1915
Last Rank:	Sergeant
Last Unit:	10th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 1891
Home Town:	Adelaide, South Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Wireless Telegraphist
Memorials:

World War 1 Service

27 Jul 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3541
27 Oct 1915:	Involvement Private, 3541, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: ''
27 Oct 1915:	Embarked Private, 3541, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Adelaide
11 Nov 1918:	Involvement Sergeant, 3541, 10th Infantry Battalion
21 Sep 1919:	Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3541

Help us honour John Frank Zwalsmann's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Julianne Ryan

**Spelt John Frank ZWOLSMAN on National Records**

Born: June 1891

Wife: Mrs Irene De La Rea Zwalsmann
c/o Mrs Bartch, 20 Carrington Street, Adelaide, South Australia
child - 1

Described on enlisting as 24 years 1 month old; married; 5 7 3/4" tall; 155 lbs;
fair complexion; blue eyes; dark brown hair; Church of England

27/07/1915 enlisted at Keswick, SA

27/10/1915 embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A24 Benalla
as a Private with 10th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement

27/03/1916    proceeded to join British Expeditionary Forces, ex Alexandria
                     onboard the Saxonia
03/04/1916    disembarked into Marseilles, France

26/03/1917 appointed Lance Corporal in France

10/07/1917 promoted to Corporal

11/07/1917 transferred to 3rd Australian Training Battalion in England

27/08/1917 on Command at Lyndhurst Bombing School, Durrington, England

23/07/1917 Qualified as 'Very Good' and Distinguished at the Lewis Gun
School, Tidworth, England

27/09/1917 attended the 14th riffle course at the School of Musketry, Tidworth,
England - Qualified

01/03/1918 proceeded overseas to France, ex Sutton Veny, England

04/09/1918 promoted to Sergeant

12/10/1918 to hospital sick in France

03/11/1918 on leave in Paris

16/06/1919 as a Sergeant - Returned to Australia from England onboard ORmode

17/06/1919 Awarded - MILITARY MEDAL - London Gazette
10/10/1919 noted in Commonwealth Gazette

'Early in the advance from Jeancourt on 18th September, 1918, Corporal ZWOLSMAN was blown up by a shell and received a slight wound in the head. Although suffering from shell shock he refused to leave his platoon, and on reaching the line of exploitation he engaged an enemy machine gun which was holding up the advance, killing or wounding the entire crew with the exception of one man, who surrendered. Corporal ZWOLSMAN's exceptional skill with the Lewis gun contributed largely to this result. Shortly after he observed an enemy sniper firing on our troops, he went forward, stalked the sniper, and shot him dead with his rifle.'

21/09/1919 discharged from service

Medals: 1914/15 Star (384); British War medal (7345) and Victory medal (7282)

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 12/12/2016. Lest we forget.

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