HAMILTON, John Henry
| Service Numbers: | 809, 809A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 February 1916, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | HQ Infantry Base Depot Army Service Corps |
| Born: | Mansfield, Victoria, Australia, 1888 |
| Home Town: | Cudgewa North, Towong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Albury, New South Wales, Australia, 15 February 1953, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Wodonga Cemetery, Victoria PRES-N-007 |
| Memorials: | Cudgewa War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 809, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 May 1916: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 809, 39th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 27 May 1916: | Embarked Lance Corporal, 809, 39th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Melbourne | |
| 9 Nov 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, England, proceeded overseas to France two weeks later | |
| 9 Jan 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 809, 39th Infantry Battalion, GSW arms and back, severe | |
| 3 Mar 1917: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, for conspicuous gallantry in action, France 9/10th Jan 1917 | |
| 29 Apr 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sergeant, 67th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 20 Sep 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sergeant, 39th Infantry Battalion, in the field, France | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 809A, 39th Infantry Battalion, Broodseinde Ridge, 2nd occasion, GSW neck | |
| 21 Feb 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sergeant, HQ Infantry Base Depot Army Service Corps | |
| 19 Oct 1918: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sergeant, 809A, HQ Infantry Base Depot Army Service Corps, RTA | |
| 9 Feb 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 809A, HQ Infantry Base Depot Army Service Corps, Medically unfit |
John Henry Hamilton DCM
JOHN HENRY Jack HAMILTON (1888-1953) born at Hedley VIC, son of William Charles and Sarah Hamilton nee Mills. John enlisted to serve in WW1, as Private 809a, 39th Battalion, on February 25th, 1916 at the headquarters, Infantry Base Depot. He had been a member of ther Rifle Club for 7 years. He embarked for the front on HMAT Ascanius at Melbourne MAY 27th, 1916. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for acts of Devotion in France in 1917. For Conspicuous gallantry in Action – he removed a wounded officer to a place of safety and destroyed a dugout and killed five of the enemy. He was severely wounded in the process.
At Armentierres on the night 9/10th January, 1917, he was a member of the left assault party in a raid on the enemy trenches, carried out by his battalion. When his Officer was wounded by a revolver shot for an enemy dugout, he removed him to a place of safety and destroyed the dugout with explosives, the four occupants being killed. He then threw a bomb into the debris, shot another German with his revolver and succeeded in getting the body of his Officer out of the enemy trench. Although severely wounded he returned to our trenches and reported his party all correct, before he reported himself as a casualty.
He received promotions to Lance-Corporal, and Sargent, HQ AIB , returned to Australia May 23rd,1917,
Submitted 16 June 2015 by Beryl Pittman