ECKERT, John George
| Service Number: | 5357 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 February 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Belvidere, South Australia, 19 June 1891 |
| Home Town: | Belvidere, Alexandrina, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Belvidere Public School |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 1 October 1917, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Aeroplane Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Belvidere WW1 Roll of Honor, Strathalbyn District Roll of Honor WW1, Strathalbyn RSL Hall Honour Board, Strathalbyn War Memorial, Woodchester Onaunga D.C. Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5357, 10th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Apr 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5357, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide | |
| 1 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 5357, 10th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5357 awm_unit: 10 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-10-01 |
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Add my storyBiography
"Private JACK ECKERT, eldest son of Mr. John Eckert, was killed in action on October 1. He sailed for the front in April, 1916, with the 17th Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion. With 16 others he remained in Colombo on guard over measles cases for six weeks. Afterwards he was a month in hospital in Cairo. After training on Salisbury Plains he entered the trenches in September, 1916, and had only been absent one day on leave. Private Eckert, who was 26 years old, spent the whole of his life on his father's farm. He was a keen follower of coursing and a prominent football and tennis player. He was loved by many friends for his kindly and unselfish nature." - from the Adelaide Advertiser 07 Nov 1917 (nla.gov.au)
Biography contributed
Completed by a decendent of Eckert who attends Heathfield High School
John George “Jack” Eckert was born on the 19th of June 1891 in Belvidere, South Australia. His grandfather was John Burnard who was born in Germany but moved to South Australia in 1853 and landed in Port Willunga. The family then lived on Flinders Island and gave birth to three children including John Anthony Eckert who was John George’s father. In 1865 John Anthony moved to Belvidere and bought 3 blocks of land that his ancestors still live on now. John Anthony and his wife Martha had 4 children, but Martha passed away from blood poisoning after giving birth to her youngest child. (Eckert, S & P, 2023) Jack was the second child. His older sister Kathleen who assumed the role of taking care of the family after their mother passed away. Before Jack left for the war, he didn’t have many hobbies because he was working full time from the age of thirteen, but his main interest was football. He played football for both the local Belvidere club and the Langhorne team. Jack lived on his family’s farm while growing up and after leaving school at 13 he continued working there with his father before he left for the war. The farm mainly consisted of sheep, cattle, and crop.
John George enlisted on the 3rd of February 1916 in Strathalbyn. He left on the 9th of June, but he was soon admitted to hospital with a case of the mumps. He was then moved to a Base Hospital and after recovery travelled on the ‘Alexeroria’. He was appointed Lance Corporal on the 18th of May 1917 in Ypres. 4 months later he was admitted sick to a casualty clearing station but re-joined the 10th battalion once he had recovered. Unfortunately, he was killed in action on the 1st of October 1917 at the age of 26. He was originally buried on the ANZAC Ridge north of Polygon wood, but his remains were moved to Aeroplane Cemetery in Leper, Belgium where he is now buried. Back in Belvidere there is an engravement on his father’s gravestone dedicated to him to help remember him. He is also listed in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra along with hundreds of others.
All around the Belvidere area there are many memorials dedicated to him and the other five local men who passed away. Many members of the community gathered together to build these memorials. He is listed on memorials including one in the Belvidere Hall, Strathalbyn War Memorial and more. The immediate family felt the effect of his death significantly losing their eldest son.
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