Sapper John Edward Hammond

SAPPER JOHN EDWARD HAMMOND

6930 – Tunnelling Reinforcements

Beechworth, Victoria was the birthplace of John Edward Hammond in 1870, the son of John Thomas and Betsie (formerly Jones) Hammond. He married Elizabeth S Overland at Glenn Innes, New South Wales in 1892 and by 1905 he was working as a miner at Smith’s Creek, North Queensland. Three years later he was mining at Mount Garnet, N.Q. and is listed at Nymbool in the Mount Garnet region in 1913 as a miner. His daughter Laurel May married in 1915 to James MacFarlane Cook.

At forty-three years of age he applied to enlist with the A.I.F. and passed the preliminary medical examination at the Cairns Recruiting Depot on November 25, 1916. Personal particulars show he was a widower and 175cms (5ft 9ins) in height. Completion of Forms of Attestation add his weight of 66.8kgs (147lbs) with a chest expansion of 87-92cms (34-36ins). Complexion was fresh with hazel eyes and fair hair. Church of England was his faith. His daughter Mrs Laurel Cook of Mount Garnet, N.Q. was nominated as next-of-kin. He was sworn in the same day.

Private Hammond began his basic training on December 4, 1916 at the 11th Depot Battalion concluding on January 11, 1917 when he was transferred to the Miners’ Training Depot for further instruction. It was noted on January 13 he required extensive dental treatment and training was completed by January 31, 1917. During this time he was granted Home Leave.

He was sent to the Miners’ Training camp at Seymour, Victoria for Reinforcements’ technical instruction on February 3, 1917 but two days after arrival he was taken sick to the No. 5 A.G.H. remaining in hospital until February 8, 1917. Returning to Seymour he joined the February 1917 Reinforcements in the rank of Sapper and assigned the Regimental number 6930 before he was transferred to the Tunnelling Company Reinforcements on February 27, 1917. Training continued until May 10, 1917. In preparation for departure his Will was noted to be lodged with his daughter Mrs Laurel Cook at Mount Garnet, N.Q.

The transport HMAT A9 Shropshire embarked from Melbourne, Vic on May 11, 1917 with 168 members of the February Reinforcements on board. After only two days at sea Sapper Hammond was admitted to the ship’s hospital on May 13 and discharged on May 15. The ship left Australian waters from Fremantle harbour and while crossing the Indian Ocean on June 11, 1917 he was admitted to the ship’s hospital again. When the ship docked at Durban, South Africa on June 16 he disembarked the transport and was admitted to hospital for a surgical operation the following day.

When recovered he was temporarily attached to the 25th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion for the voyage only to Europe to rejoin his company, departing on July 13, 1917. The transport H.M.A.T. A20 Hororata docked in Capetown on July 21 where he disembarked and was admitted to the 1st General Hospital at Wynberg for a medical examination and remained until August 25, 1917 receiving treatment for Pneumonia.

Sapper Hammond re-embarked for Australia on August 26, 1917 on board the transport H.M.A.T. A40 Ceramic. On September 1, 1917 his daughter was notified that he was returning to Australia. The ship arrived in Melbourne, Vic (3rd M.D.) on September 15, 1917 then he travelled overland to Brisbane, Qld (1st M.D.) arriving at the 6th A.G.H. at Kangaroo Point.

He was discharged medically unfit due to post Pneumonia and Cystitis on October 20, 1917 in Brisbane (1st M.D.).

Sapper 6930 John Edward Hammond, Tunnelling Reinforcements was awarded the British War Medal (29007) for volunteering his service to his country. He was ineligible for the Victory Medal as he did not serve in a theatre of war.

John Hammond returned to Nymbool, via Mt Garnet, N.Q. to work as a miner and was still registered there up to 1936.

A Statement of his Service was sent to the Repatriation Department in Brisbane on September 7, 1937.

John Edward Hammond died in Queensland aged about 64 years on August 20, 1937.