ANDREWS, John
| Service Number: | 5030 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 21st Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade |
| Born: | Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Marrickville, Marrickville, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Marrickville Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Telegraph linesman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 1 August 1916, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-la Boisselle |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 12 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Gunner | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 1915: | Involvement Gunner, 5030, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Sep 1915: | Embarked Gunner, 5030, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, HMAT Ballarat, Melbourne | |
| 1 Aug 1916: | Involvement Gunner, 5030, 21st Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5030 awm_unit: 21st Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1916-08-01 |
Gunner John Andrews
John Andrews was a telegraph linesman when he enlisted on the 12th May 1915 at the age of 26. He was assigned to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade, 9th Reinforcements. He embarked at Melbourne, Victoria on MWAT A70, "Ballarat" on the 9th September, 1915. By the 1st August 1916 he had been killed in action at Pozieres, France.
An eye witness reported, "I was at Pozieres in front of Beaucourt Wood. It was dusk about 7 o'clock. I think it was August 1st. I was with the gun detachment. There were about 14 of us sitting in a trench in front of a dugout . making coffee, when a shell came over. Seven of our lot ran to the dugout. I ran along the trench. The shell killed three men in the dugout, Gunner KImber, Sergeant Elliott and Gunner Andrews, and wounded Sergeant McClelland and another, all five were of our battery.I saw Andrews after death, there was not a mark on him."
His brother , Henry Herbert Andrews, also in France at the time, took a motor bike and went to see his brother,who had already been buried at Gordon Dump Cemetery, Sausage Valley.
Gunner Andrews was honoured with Mention in despatches. Since the battery took the field until after the capture of Pozieres he showed conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in laying and repairing telephone wires. He was killed by a shell at the battery position after he had been put off duty to have a rest'.
Submitted 23 February 2017 by Diana Andrews
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