John Harold Rupert Smith

John Harold Rupert Smith

The Drill of the Foot-Hills Birtwistle collection
Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown 1890
Place of Birth	Melbourne, Victoria
Death	3 Apr 1975
Place of Death	Warwick, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	24 years, 9 months
Description	5'9" (1.75m) tall ; 134 lbs 60.781 kg ; fair complexion ; brown eyes ; light brown hair
Occupation	Orchardist
Religion	Methodist
Address	'Roscrea', Bedfordale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr John Thomas Smith
Military Information
Reg Number	6316
Date of Enlistment	22 Mar 1915
Rank	Driver
Unit/Formation	Army Service Corps 1916 Reinforcement 1, transferred to 2nd Division Train, 16th Coy AASC
Date of Embarkation	24 Jun 1915 ‒ 23 July 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A40 Ceramic
Date of Return	28 Feb 1919 ‒ 7 Apr 1919
Ship Returned On	HMAT A68 Anchises
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Bedfordale panel) Bedfordale Roll of Honour Kelmscott-Armadale Parish Roll of Honour Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entries - 1912, Bedfordale, labourer

War Service

A month after entering his training camp where he was assigned to the Depot Company for the 16th Company AASC, where John was promoted Driver (23 Apr 1915). Following service in Egypt, he embarked on the HMAT A32 Themistocles on 15 Nov 1915 for Lemnos Island and then to Gallipoli. John served on Gallipoli before evacuating on 20 Dec 1915 to Mudros and then later from Mudros to Alexandria aboard the HMT Empress of Britain.

Back in Egypt on 31 Jan 1916 he presented to the 6th Field Ambulance with Influenza and on 6 Feb 1916 he was admitted to 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital in Tel-el-Kebir. The next day he was placed aboard Ambulance Train No. 4 for Ghezireh in Cairo where he was admitted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital suffering with Jaundice. On 16 Feb 1916 he was transferred to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital until 21 Feb 1916 when he was discharged to duty at the Overseas Base at Ghezireh. John was transferred to the Infantry Base Camp on 18 Mar 1916

On 28 Mar 1916 he boarded HMT Saxonia in Alexandria for Marseilles, arriving there on 3 Apr 1916. John needed medical assistance again on 8 May 1916 when he was admitted to the 26th General Hospital in Étaples, before returning to the 2nd Division Base Depot on 15 May. On 3 Jul 1916 John proceeded to join his unit, but doesn't appear to join it (The 2nd Australian Entrenching Battalion) until 27 Jul 1916. Soon after, on 9 Aug 1916 he was transferred to the 2nd ANZAC Cyclist Battalion.

On 3 Nov 1916 he reported sick with Influenza again, passing through the hands of the 34th Division Rest Station on 3 November, the 8th Casualty Clearing Station from 5 - 12 Nov 1916; Ambulance Train No. 23; and the 14th Australian General Hospital at Wimereux from 13 - 16 Nov 1916 before boarding the HS Jan Breydel in Boulogne on 17 Nov 1916 for England where he entered the 2nd Eastern General Hospital with pneumonia. He was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 4 Dec 1916, and released on furlough from 27 Apr - 12 May 1917.

Recovered, he spent some time in base units building his strength until on 21 Oct 1918 his records show that he was acting Lance Corporal at the AASC Training Depot before embarking for France on 18 Nov 1918, where on arrival he reverted to Driver. On 26 Nov 1918 he rejoined the 2nd Division Train's 16th Company AASC, and he remained with them until 24 Jan 1919 when he began the journey back to Australia via England, disembarking in Albany on 7 Apr 1919. John was discharged by the 5th Military District on 28 Jun 1919.

"Enlisted 19th March, 1915; sailed with the Army Service Corps 25th April, 1915; went through the Gallipoli campaign, returned to Egypt, thence to France. Lately reported ill of pneumonia. Home on the Upper Wungong River (father JF Smith JP). Trained in Melbourne before going to Egypt and then Gallipoli. After the evacuation returned to Egypt and then France."

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1921 - 1937 labourer at Bedfordale with Annie. In May 1967 at 13 Thurloe street Bicton.

Listening Post Oct 1922 - Armadale delegate to Annual State RSL Congress.

In 1967 he wrote an indignant letter (the 3rd on the matter) to the Central Army Records Office with regards their slowness in awarding him the Gallipoli Medal (Records lost), and he quoted entries in his pay book showing him receiving pay both at Gallipoli and at Mudros

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial