SERGEANT JOHN KEARNS
2421 – 1st Australian Tunnelling Company
Born on 2 September 1891 at Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), 24-year-old John Kearns of Woolwich Rd, Woolwich, was a Quarryman by trade when he signed the Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad at Casula, NSW, on 31 January 1916.
5 foot 8 inches tall, he weighed 154lbs, was of dark complexion with grey eyes and dark hair. He named his father, Michael Kearns, of Balmain, NSW, as his Next of Kin.
John had completed the medical examination in Sydney on 16 January, and been found fit for active service.
On 25 March 1916 John Kearns was appointed to the 2nd Reinforcements, 2nd Company, 1st Australian Mining Battalion at Roseberry Park, Sydney.
John embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A16 Star of Victoria on 31 March 1916, with 180 members of the 2nd Reinforcements for the Mining Corps. After voyaging via Colombo, Ceylon and Suez in Egypt, Star of Victoria arrived at Port Said Egypt on 5 May. The troops were transferred to the City of Edinburgh to continue the voyage and disembarked at Marseilles, France on 17 May 1916.
After staging through the Australian General Base Depot while the Mining Corps was re-organised into Tunnelling Companies (to fit in with the British Expeditionary Force organisation) John was attached to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company on 25 June 1916, being taken on strength 29 September of that year.
He was hospitalised with mumps from 4 to 23 April 1917 and was promoted to Lance Corporal on 29 April 1917, and, on 19 May, to 2nd Corporal.
On 14 May 1917 his Next of Kin record was changed to his sister, Mrs. Catherine Collison, of Woolwich, NSW, following the death of his father on 29 February 1917. His sister was, at that stage, his only relative in Australia.
On 12 August 1917 John was promoted to Corporal. He suffered a gunshot wounds to the head and right arm on 31 October 1917 and was treated at the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance before being transferred to 24 General Hospital at Etaples – rejoining his unit 19 November.
On 26 September 1918 John was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He began Leave from France on 7 December 1918, rejoining his unit on Christmas Day, and marched out to England on 10 April 1919.
He embarked on HT Aeneas at London, England on 31 May and disembarked in Melbourne on 12 July, travelling by rail to Sydney on 13 July 1919.
The award of the Military Medal to John Kearns was promulgated in the London Gazette on 3 July 1919.
He was discharged from the A.I.F. on 28 August 1919, entitled to wear the Military Medal, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal
WW2:
John Kearns served in World War 2 as N69204 Private John Kearns. He was living at Parramatta, NSW and enlisted there on 10 October 1939. He was discharged on 28 September 1940, having served with 2 Garrison Battalion. His sister Catherine Collison was again his Next-of-Kin.
© Donna Baldey 2009