MAYCOCK, Jack
| Service Number: | 14278 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 1st Australian Wireless Squadron |
| Born: | Birmingham, England, date not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Cholera, Basra, Mesopotamia (Iraq), 20 July 1916, age not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Basra War Cemetery Basra War Cemetery, Basra, Iraq |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kumbia & District Fallen Roll of Honour Memorial, Kumbia WW1 Roll of Honour, Toowoomba St James' M2, Toowoomba War Memorial (Mothers' Memorial) |
World War 1 Service
| 30 May 1916: | Involvement Driver, 14278, 1st Australian Wireless Squadron, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Morea embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 May 1916: | Embarked Driver, 14278, 1st Australian Wireless Squadron, RMS Morea, Melbourne | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Involvement Driver, 14278, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 14278 awm_unit: 1st Australian Wireless Signal Squadron awm_rank: Driver awm_died_date: 1916-07-20 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Ian Lang
#14278 MAYCOCK John Henry (Jack) 1st Australian Wireless Squadron
Jack Maycock was born to parents James and Annie Maycock in Birmingham in the English Midlands. Around 1883, the family emigrated to Australia when Jack was 6 years old. The family may have settled in Toowoomba. Jack’s sister, Elizabeth, when completing the Roll of Honour Circular stated that Jack had attempted to enlist in a contingent for the Boer War but was rejected due to illness.
Jack presented himself for enlistment in the AIF in Toowoomba on 9th October 1915. He stated he was then 38 years old, a labourer of Station Street, Toowoomba. He named his mother of the same address as his next of kin, his father being deceased. Upon presentation to camp at Enoggera, Jack was allocated to the 6th Field Company Engineers as a driver of general service wagons but on 27th April 1916, he was sent to the signals school at Broadmeadows near Melbourne. There Jack began to learn how to drive a six horse team pulling a limbered wagon, similar to the method used with 18 pounder guns of the field artillery. The limbered wagons would transport heavy Marconi radio sets.
From 1914, the Indian Army was responsible for defending the oil fields in Southern Mesopotamia (now modern Iraq) from a possible Ottoman attempt to seize the oil fields near Basra. A shortage of radio signalling equipment caused the Indian commanders of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force to request skilled operators and Marconi transmitters from the AIF and New Zealand. The 1st Australian Wireless Squadron was formed in 1916 at Broadmeadows and embarked on the “Morea” in Port Melbourne on 30thMay. After a coaling stop in Colombo the 80 or so members of the squadron disembarked in Bombay (now Mumbai) on 29th June where a group photograph of the troops was taken. The men are equipped in the standard uniform of the Indian Army of beige gabardine tunic and trousers, a bandolier and a sola topee helmet. Driver Jack Maycock is standing in the back row. The force then sailed on to Basra at the head of the Persian Gulf, disembarking on 4th July.
The Australian Squadron was split into two troops and a third troop of New Zealanders was added to the expanded unit, prior to moving off to support military operations further up the Tigris River. Unfortunately, Jack became ill almost immediately and was placed in isolation in the Basra hospital with a case of cholera. He died on 20th July, barely two weeks after arriving in Basra.
Jack Maycock was buried in the Basra War cemetery and his mother was informed that a plaque containing his name and details was being placed over the grave; however Annie requested that Jack’s actual name: John Henry Maycock, should appear on the plaque. After a birth certificate was provided to the authorities, his name was changed.
Annie Maycock was awarded a pension of 10/- a fortnight.