John (Senior) Shepherd

Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	Westcott, Surrey, England
Death	17 Feb 1948
Place of Death	Victoria Park, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	40 years, 11 months
Description	5'7" (1.70m) tall; weight 131 lbs (59.4 kg); fresh complexion, blue eyes, dark brown hair
Occupation	brickmaker & gardener
Religion	Church of England
Address	Maddington, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife Mrs Laura Shepherd
Military Information
Reg Number	6223
Date of Enlistment	28 Mar 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	18 Sep 1916 - 2 Nov 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray
Date of Return	21 Dec 1917 - ? Jan 1918
Ship Returned On	HMAT A34 Persic
Fate	Returned to Australia (medical)
Monument	Kelmscott
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Married prior to arrival in Western Australia. Electoral Roll entries - 1916 - 1917 River road, Kelmscott, a gardener with Laura, who lived in Maddington once he enlisted.

War Service

Three weeks after entering Blackboy Hill camp John is allocated to the 20th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion. Three months later he was appointed a Lance Corporal for the voyage to England.

Proceeded to France on 17 Dec 1916 from Folkestone on HMPS Golden Eagle. [A paddle steamer, used to ferry troops to France, and which would in WW2 play a role in the evacuation of Dunkirk, saving 1,285 men, before being moored in the Thames river as an anti-aircraft vessel.]

11 days later he was admitted to hospital in France having been seen by the 5th Australian Field Ambulance, the 38th Casualty Clearing Station, and the 10th General Hospital, and on 5 Jan 1917 is sent back to England from Rouen on HMHS St Andrew and admitted next day to the 6th London General Hospital in Wandsworth with bronchitis. He was then transferred to the 70th Battalion from the 11th to 23 Mar 1917. Qualified in England as a 'bayonet fighter', and as an assistant instructor at Bombing school.

Medical discharge due to chronic bronchitis at 5th Military District on 27 Feb 1918.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 - 1943 at 12 Kent street, Victoria Park. 1949 Laura alone at 12 Kent street; 1954 - 1958 she is at 123 Basinghall street, Victoria Park; She died 11 Jul 1958, aged 88 and is buried with John