S2271
FLEMING, John Angus
| Service Number: | 2147 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 March 1915, at Keswick |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Jamestown, South Australia, Australia, 9 February 1897 |
| Home Town: | Jamestown, Northern Areas, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Butcher |
| Died: | Jamestown, Northern Areas Council, South Australia, Australia, 11 October 1975, aged 78 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Jamestown Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Jamestown Presbyterian Church WW1 Honor Roll, Jamestown Soldier's Memorial Park Arch |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2147, 10th Infantry Battalion, at Keswick | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 2147, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 2147, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Adelaide |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
John or Jock as he was known to his friends was born on the 9th of February 1897 in Jamestown South Australia, James town is just over 200 km out of Adelaide where he enlisted at the Keswick barracks on the 3rd of March 1915. Before he enlisted to join AIF soldier, he was a butcher in Jamestown where he lived with his mother Mrs. Hannah Fleming. John was enlisted into the 10th battalion. As John had no previous military experience he started as a private. The Tenth Battalion started training at the Morphettville in August of 1914 before departing for Egypt for more training and landing on Gallipoli on the 25 of April the following. John only enlisted less than two months before that and departed Australia two months later. On the 23rd of June 1915, John boarded the H.M.A.T A30 Borda which traveled from Adelaide to Egypt, and he then proceeded to Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.
On the 4th of August 1915, John arrived at Anzac Cove John joined the rest of the tenth battalion. Three days later they were deployed as reinforcements on the Gallipoli front line. Life in the trenches was difficult and was a scary place to be, after three weeks of life in the trenches, seeing mates die around him and the constant fear, John had enough. He left his post and reported sick, he was later caught by superiors for reporting sick without cause, he was given a 14-day field punishment number 2. The number 2 field punishment consisted of marching with his unit in handcuffs, hard labor loss of pay. Six days into his punishment John was admitted to hospital by 1st field ambulance for influenza, 3 days later he rejoined his unit and did not have to serve the rest of his punishment.
From July 1915 to April 1916 there are no recorded tenth battalion war diaries, we do know from John's service record he was admitted to hospital as sick for the second time on the 3/11/15 and on the 28/1/1916 he departed Suez Enteris, Egypt for Australia due to a medical condition. When John disembarks in Melbourne on the 10th of February 1916, his medical condition is listed as Rheumatism which is any disease that can cause joint, muscle and fibrous tissue pain, and inflammation. He later returned to Jamestown for 15 months before re-enlisting on the 6th of June 1917, he was transported to Mitcham where he joined the B company on the 19th of June to the first of July. By the end of October John is transported to Melbourne where he embarks on the H.M.A.T Aenears on the 30 of October 1917. After a nearly two-month journey across the globe to Devonport England, the ship docks the day after Christmas the same year.
For eight months John trained in England and was sent to France in early August 1918. He does not seem to have joined a fighting unit, but was attached to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville.. For a third time on the 7th of September 1918, John is admitted to hospital. On the 31st of October John returns to the hospital sick for the fourth time, fortunately, it is the shortest visit to the hospital, only four days. On the 10th of November, John has taken on strength (Joined Unit) in France which is not very specific as most of France was part of the war zone. The next day the 11th of November was the official end to World War One.
John’s duty in world war I officially ended the 20th of May 1919 when he departed Devonport, England For Australia. From John's grave we know he passed away on the 11 of October 1975 age 78, we also know he was husband to Eva Blanche Flemming who passed away on the 29 of August 1992. They are both buried at the Jamestown Cemetery.