HENDRICKSON, John
| Service Number: | 2276 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 June 1915, Keswick, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wiebruck, Finland, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Illness (Apoplexy), France, 18 December 1916, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 27th Infantry Battalion, Keswick, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2276, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Adelaide |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Schools Program
John Hendrickson was born on the 15th of June, 1872, in Central Finland, which was at the time part of Russia. Because of this, Hendrickson spent 3 years serving for the Russian Army before arriving in Australia. Hendrickson resided in places such as Broken Hill and Adelaide. Hendrickson, standing at 5 feet 7 inches, weighed in at 12 stone 7 pounds, putting him at a weight of 175lbs, or 79kg. During his time in both Finland and Australia before the war, John Hendrickson worked in several different trades as both a labourer and blacksmith.
On the 4th of June, 1915, John Hendrickson enlisted for the war in the suburb of Keswick, located in South-Western Adelaide. He enlisted as a Private in the 27th Battalion with the regimental number 2267A, and it was not until the 21st of September, 1915 that Hendrickson embarked on the HMAT Star of England at the age of 43. This boat travelled to England where the soldiers were trained before the war.
As was common at the time, John Hendrickson was listed as absent without leave in early September of 1915. Hendrickson was suspended of pay for 2 days as punishment. During Hendrickson’s time in the war, he served in many different infantry units, including the 32nd and the 29th Battalions, as well as serving in the 6th and 7th Field Engineer Units. These units were present in Egypt, specifically Alexandria, Ismailia and Mudros, as well as France, where the units were involved in conflicts in the Western Front around Northern France.
During Hendrickson’s time with the 27th Battalion, he would have taken part in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. This campaign ended with an Allied victory. Furthermore, he also fought in the Western Front, in Northern France. The purpose of this mission was to push back Germany from its control over France, which was successfully achieved.
As previously mentioned, Hendrickson served in the 29th Battalion, but it was the last unit he was enlisted in. On the 8th of December, 1916 during the Western Front Campaign, he was wounded in battle. He was immediately rushed to the Hospital the same day. One fortnight later, on the 22nd of December, John Hendrickson had died from Apoplexy, or a stroke. He was buried in the Dantzig Alley Cemetery, located in the commune of Mametz.
After the war, the Australian Army had sought out to give every soldier who had died in the war a medallion to remember them by. John Hendrickson’s sister, Carl Anderson was gifted a similar memorial plaque. It has the words ‘He died for freedom and honour’ inscribed on its surface.
- Biography by a Year 9 student at Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide
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