WATTIE, John Richie
| Service Number: | 3963 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 July 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 5th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Newstead, Victoria, Australia, October 1874 |
| Home Town: | Kerang, Gannawarra, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Lobar Pneumonia, War Hospital, Cambuslang, near Glasgow, Scotland., 10 February 1919 |
| Cemetery: |
Cambuslang (Westburn) Cemetery Inscription: Father In Thy Gracious Keeping Leave We Now Thy Servant Sleeping |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Newstead & District Great European War Roll of Honor, Newstead Methodist Church Honour Roll, Newstead War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Jul 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3963, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 3963, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 3963, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 18 Mar 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 7 Mar 1918: | Honoured Military Medal, Menin Road, 'During the operations east of YPRES on 20th September, L/Cpl. WATTIE was made responsible to lay a tape from the centre of the Red Line to the centre of the Blue Line as the advance proceeded. He succeeded in doing this and immediately proceeded to establish an observation post in the Blue Line. At this place he was cut off from the Intelligence Section and partially isolated, but he remained there for two days despite all barrages. The information collected by him from this observation post was extremely valuable. Twice he discovered large parties of enemy massing over near the "Mound" and again in a trench on the far ridge. In each case owing to the information he collected in spite of heavy enemy barrage, the artillery was brought to bear on these targets in sufficient time.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 31 | |
| 30 Aug 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
| 10 Feb 1919: | Involvement Corporal, 3963, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3963 awm_unit: 5 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1919-02-10 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 10th February…… John Ritchie Wattie was born in Victoria in 1874 to parents James and Sarah Wattie (nee Hewitson). John Ritchie Wattie stated on his Attestation Papers that he was born at Kerang, whereas information provided by his brother, William Wattie, for the Roll of Honour states that John Ritchie Wattie was born at Newstead.
James Wattie, father of John Ritchie Wattie, died at Newstead, Victoria on 3rd July, 1908. Sarah Wattie, mother of John Ritchie Wattie, died at Newstead, Victoria on 9th July, 1908.
John Ritchie Wattie enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 27th July, 1915 as a 40 year old, single, Labourer from Kerang, Victoria.
Private John Ritchie Wattie, Service Number 3963, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Ceramic (A40) on 23rd November, 1915 with the 5th Infantry Battalion, 12th Reinforcements. He was taken on strength of 5th Battalion from Reinforcements at Serapeum on 22nd February, 1916.
On 25th March, 1916 Private Wattie embarked from Alexandria on Briton to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 30th March, 1916.
Private John Ritchie Wattie was still with his Unit on 6th January, 1917.
He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 28th March, 1917 – vice Moseley promoted to Corporal.
Lance Corporal John Ritchie Wattie was awarded the Military Medal on 31st October, 1917. (Notice appeared in the London Gazette 12th December, 1917 & the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 2nd May, 1918.)
“During the operations east of YPRES on 20th September, L/Cpl. WATTIE was made responsible to lay a tape from the centre of the Red Line to the centre of the Blue Line as the advance proceeded. He succeeded in doing this and immediately proceeded to establish an observation post in the blue line. At this place he was cut off from the Intelligence Section and partially isolated, but he remained there for two days despite all barrages. The information collected by him from this observation post was extremely valuable. Twice he discovered large parties of enemy massing over near the “Mound” and again in a trench on the far ridge. In each case owing to the information he collected in spite of heavy enemy barrage, the artillery was brought to bear on these targets in sufficient time.”
From 27th January, 1918 Lance Corporal Wattie was on furlough to UK & rejoined his Unit on 12th February, 1918.
Lance Corporal John Ritchie Wattie was promoted to Corporal on 30th August, 1918 to complete Establishment.
From 12th January, 1919 Corporal Wattie was on Leave to UK from France. He was reported to be on leave to Glasgow from 15th January, 1919 to 29th January, 1919.
On 9th February, 1919 Corporal Wattie was admitted to War Hospital, Cambuslang, near Glasgow, Scotland.
Corporal John Ritchie Wattie died at 8.10 am on 10th February, 1919 at War Hospital, Cambuslang, near Glasgow, Scotland from Lobar Pneumonia.
He was buried in Westburn Cemetery, Cambuslang, Glasgow, Scotland.
Notification was made in August, 1922 to Base Records that permission had been granted to the Cambuslang War Memorial Committee to carry out the exhumation and re-interment of the body of Corporal J, R. Wattie, M.M., 3963, 5th Battalion, A.I.F., from Grave No. 4273 to Grave No. 4275 in Westburn Cemetery, Cambuslang, Scotland. The reason explained was that the War Memorial Committee had decided to erect a monument in Westburn Cemetery in memory of the soldiers interred & this would encroach on the existing grave of Corporal Wattie.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/westburn.html
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