CONWAY, John Cornelius
| Service Numbers: | 150, 1554, 5069 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 19th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, 21 November 1873 |
| Home Town: | Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed In Action, France, 23 December 1916, aged 43 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Toowoomba Roll of Honour WW1, Toowoomba War Memorial (Mothers' Memorial), Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 150, 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 1901: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 150, 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 488 notes 5th QIB embarked at Pinkenba 6 Mar 1901 aboard Templemore arriving Port Elizabeth 1 Apr 1901. | |
| 5 May 1902: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 150, 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 491 notes 5th QIB embarked at Cape Town 27 Mar 1902 aboard St Andrew returning to Australia arriving Brisbane 30 Apr 1902, disbanded 5 May 1902. |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1554, 5th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 1554, 5th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Mashobra embarkation_ship_number: A47 public_note: '' | |
| 4 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 1554, 5th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Mashobra, Sydney | |
| 10 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5069, 19th Infantry Battalion | |
| 5 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 5069, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ajana embarkation_ship_number: A31 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Jul 1916: | Embarked Private, 5069, 19th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ajana, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Claude McKelvey
John Cornelius Conway was born on 21 Nov 1873 at Toowoomba, Queensland, a son to John Conway and Catherine 'Kate' Conway (nee O'Reilly). He lived in the Toowoomba area working as a labourer and never married.
He served in both the South African (Boer) War and WW1. He enlisted twice for WW1 but only embarking after the second enlistment under the alias of John Walker creating a complicated service history which has been addressed in his WW1 service records held by National Archives Australia.
His first service was as a Private S.N. 150 in the 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, Boer War. He enlisted for this service under John Conway and noted his N.O.K. as his mother Mrs K. Conway, Seaton St, Toowoomba.
He enlisted for WW1 on the first occasion in July 1915 as a Private S.N. 1554, 5th Light Horse Regiment AIF, under John Cornelius Conway noting his N.O.K. as his mother Kate Conway, Seaton St, Toowoomba. He also noted on this Attestation Paper his previous service in the Boer War. Despite him appearing on the embarkation rolls, his service record notes that he missed his embarkation and did not embark.
Having missed his first embarkation he re-enlisted for WW1 in Dec 1915 as a Private S.N. 5069, 19th Infantry Battalion AIF. He enlisted under the alias of John Walker noting his N.O.K. as his father John Walker (actually Conway), Seaton St, Toowoomba, even though it appears he was already deceased. This time he embarked and was serving in France when he was killed in action in Dec 1916. His identity was corrected to John Cornelius Conway on the Roll of Honour with a note 'also known as John Walker'.
(sources- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 496; National Archives Australia- WW1 service record).
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