COLK, John James
| Service Numbers: | QX46788, Q11430 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 March 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Australian Water Transport (Small Craft} |
| Born: | Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, 4 December 1915 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Wood Machinist (later Veneer Worker) |
| Died: | Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 10 February 2005, aged 89 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Queenscliff Cemetery, Victoria, Australia QCF-LAWN-2EE-808-02 |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Sapper, QX46788, also Q11430 - FTD 13/6/1941? | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Mar 1941: | Involvement Sapper, Q11430, FTD 13/6/1941? - also QX46788 | |
| 18 Mar 1941: | Enlisted | |
| 6 Apr 1941: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Fortress / Coastal Artillery & Supporting Elements , Fort Lytton, Brisbane | |
| 13 Jun 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, QX46788 | |
| 2 Jul 1941: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Fortress / Coastal Artillery & Supporting Elements , Fort Cowan Cowan, Moreton Island | |
| 1 Mar 1942: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Fortress / Coastal Artillery & Supporting Elements , Fort Kissing Point, Townsville | |
| 26 Apr 1942: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Artillery Details , 1 Aus Artillery Training Depot | |
| 28 Sep 1942: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Signals Training Battalion | |
| 15 Feb 1943: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Australian Commando Training Battalion , 1 Commando Training Battalion, Canungra | |
| 19 Apr 1943: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Salamaua–Lae campaign - Battle of Mubo - Battle of Bobdubi | |
| 19 Apr 1943: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Embarked for New Guinea | |
| 25 Apr 1943: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), 2nd/3rd Commando Squadron | |
| 4 Oct 1943: | Embarked Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Embarked for Australia | |
| 8 Mar 1944: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Training Centre RAE, 1 Aus Water Transport Training Centre | |
| 18 Jul 1945: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Signaller, Australian Water Transport (Small Craft}, 1 Aus Cargo Vessel "Crusader" (AV-2767) | |
| 28 Jan 1946: | Transferred Sapper, Australian Water Transport (Small Craft}, 3 Army Ordnance Small Craft Park | |
| 14 Mar 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, QX46788 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by James Coleman
Story of John James Colk
John, born in Sheffield, Sth Yorkshire, England, emigrated to Australia in 1926 with his parents & was an unemployed veneer worker when he enlisted for part-time duty in the CMF (S/N: Q11430) at the City Hall Recruit Depot in Brisbane QLD on 29 May 1940 at the age of 24y 5m
He was allocated to the 11th Field Regiment as a Gunner at the Ipswich Camp
He m/out to the Grovely Camp in Mar 1941 then to Fort Lytton on 6 Apr where he qualified as T.Gp II Signaller
He was call up for full-time duty on 30 Jun & posted to Fort Cowan Cowan on 2 Jul
After a brief re-posting to Fort Lytton in Mar-Apr 1942, he posted to Fort Kissing Point, Townsville in May
John attested for the AIF (S/N: QX46788) on 18 Sep & posted to 1 Commando Training Battalion at Canungra on 15 Feb 1943
John embarked for New Guinea on board HMAS Katoomba, arriving at Port Moresby on 19 Apr where he was posted to the 2/3rd Independent Company on the 25th (presumably as a signaller)
By this time, the 2/3rd had been in country since mid-Feb & were currently fighting a guerilla campaign around Missim along the Komiatum Track, in support of the 3rd Div’s campaign around Salamaua
As a part of this campaign, the 2/3rd patrolled deep into Japanese held territory, setting ambushes & gathering intelligence. They also made a number of attacks against enemy positions, in order to harass them to keep them off balance & as such defend the 3rd Div's flanks
The most notable of these attacks came in May 1943 when a strengthened platoon launched an attack against Ambush Knoll, a feature which controlled Bobdubi Ridge & captured it (later known as The Battle of Bobdubi)
By capturing the knoll, the 2/3rd threatened the enemy supply lines to Mubo & Salamaua & because of this it forced them to launch a number of fierce counterattacks in an attempt to retake it. These counterattacks occurred over the course of the following three days & four nights, however, the platoon from the 2/3rd, consisting of only fifty-two men, managed to hold the knoll
During its time in New Guinea, the 2/3rd suffered heavy casualties & as a result after the fall of Salamaua in Sep, they were withdrawn & brought back to Australia
They had performed quite well in the circumstances, however, & were credited with having killed 969 Japanese. Against this, the 2/3rd had suffered 65 KIA, 119 WIA & 226 men evacuated for medical reasons
John embarked from Milne Bay on board SS Sydney Hall Young on 4 Oct, disembarking in Cairns on the 7th
For the remainder of 1943 to Apr 1944, John was in & out of hospital with malaria, returning to the unit on 27 Apr before being posted out to 1 Aus Water Transport Training Centre, RAE
John posted to 1 Aus Cargo Vessel "Crusader" (AV-2767) as a signaller on 18 Jul 1945 then to 3 Army Ordnance Small Craft Park on 12 Dec
In Jan 1946 he was reclassified as med class B2 & discharged from the AIF as med unfit on 14 Mar 1946
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