SAPPER WILLIAM JOHN JOHNSTON
3503A – 2nd tunnelling Company
William John Johnston was born at Bright, Victoria in 1889, the son of William, a Police Officer, and Ann (Annie) Jane Smith (nee Stewart) Johnston.
William signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 21 August 1915. He stated he was 26 years and 8 months of age and was not married. A Fettler by trade, he was living at Junee, NSW at the time.
He named as his Next-of-Kin his sister Mrs. Jessie Keane of Wyse Street, Albury, NSW.
A medical examination the same day recorded that he was 5ft 7½ins tall and weighed 162 lbs. He had a dark complexion, brown hair and brown eyes and was of the Presbyterian faith. He had a tattoo on his right arm as a distinguishing mark.
He signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ at Cootamundra, NSW on 24 August 1915 and was appointed to No.1 Company of the newly formed Australian Mining Corps at Casula, NSW.
On 18 May 1916 William was appointed to No.4 Tunnelling Company at Rosebery Park, NSW, and on 1 June he was transferred to the Mining Reinforcements in preparation for embarkation.
William embarked at Melbourne on 16 August 1916 on board RMS Orontes with the No.1 Mining Corps - 4th Reinforcements (August 1916).
The 81 Reinforcements embarked on the transport RMS Orontes on 16th August, 1916 from Melbourne, Victoria. The mail ship docked at Adelaide, S.A. and Fremantle, W.A., departing on August 23, 1916. After leaving the stormy Australian coast, Orontes docked at the African ports of Durban, Capetown and St Vincent and after fifty-two days at sea of generally fine and mild weather, arrived at Plymouth, England on October 2, 1916 where the troops entrained for Tidworth.
From 20 September until 1 October, William had spent 12 days of the voyage in the ships isolation ward and was transferred to a land-based hospital on arrival in England. He marched in to No.3 Details Camp, Parkhouse, from hospital on 13 October.
He was admitted to hospital at Parkhouse on 27 November, being discharged to his unit on 13 January 1917.
At Perham Downs, England on 20 January he was charged with being Absent Without Leave (AWL) from 2400hrs 18 January until 2400hrs 19 January and was awarded 72 hours detention and forfeiture of 4 days pay.
William proceeded overseas to France on 28 January 1917 on board SS Onward, and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) on 29 January.
On 8 February William was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion, which was an advanced section of the Base Depot. Formed at La Motte, France on June 6, 1916 with Captain N. Macrae being seconded from the Mining Corps as Adjutant and Quartermaster, the Battalion had an initial strength of 21 Officers and 1003 Other Ranks, mainly Infantry. The Battalion organised works near the lines and through duties would accustom the reinforcements to war conditions before being assigned to a company in the field. For a time, all infantry reinforcements were drawn from this unit. Heavy losses at Pozieres in July through September 1916 caused all infantry to be directly absorbed into their fighting units.
The Battalion continued to be a transit unit for tunnelling reinforcements and in October 1916 there were 9 officers and 203 men in the Battalion which now served as a tunnelling company, working with the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company at St Eloi, The Bluff and the Ravine (near Ypres). On 5 November 1917 the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion was abolished.
In February 1917 William changed his Next-of-Kin to his aunt Mrs Florence Watson of Porepunkah, Victoria, the address later changed to North Hill, Forbes, NSW.
He was transferred to the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company (2ATC) on 25 March 1917 and was taken on strength of 2ATC on 30 March. The Company had moved to Nieuportin the same month, to construct subways for Operation Hush. 2ATC was involved in the enemy attack - Operation Strandfest - in this coastal sector in July 1917, recorded in the official histories as ‘The Affair at Nieuport Bains’.
On 5 September 1917 William was charged with ‘Whilst on Active Service on 8 August 1917: a) disobeying a lawful command given by his superior officer; b) using insubordinate language to his superior officer.’ He was sentenced to 28 days Field Punishment No.1. He had spent the time from offence to trial in confinement.
British records indicate that in April 1918, troops of 2ATC fought a large fire in Peronne. The 2ATC War Diary does not record this event and does not place the unit at Peronne until August 1918.
Blue Chevrons were due to William on 16 July 1918, acknowledging his time at the Front.
Whilst on leave in England William was admitted to the Shorncliffe Military Hospital on 19 September. On 30 September he was transferred to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital (1ADH) at Bulford.
Discharged from hospital on 10 October, he marched in to the Conversion Training Brigade the same day, but was re-admitted to 1ADH on 28 October. He returned to the Training Depot at Parkhouse on 27 November.
On 17 December he was charged with being AWL from 2359hrs 10 December until 1730hrs 16 December. He was awarded 7 days Field Punishment No.2 and forfeiture of 13 days pay. On 20 December he marched in to No.1 Command Depot, Sutton Veny.
William left London on board the City of Exeter on 15 January 1919 for return to Australia, disembarking on 2 March in Melbourne, to then travel to Sydney.
He was discharged from the A.I.F. in Sydney on 13 April 1919, entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Elizabeth emigrated to Australia in 1920 on board Westralia, arriving in Melbourne on 4 November. It appears none of the children from her previous relationships accompanied her.
In 1930 William and Elizabeth are recorded living at ‘Devonport’, Cascade Street, Katoomba, NSW, where William is a railway worker. By 1943 the couple had moved to 39 Vale Street, Katoomba.
Williams’ military service and medical records were forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Sydney in January 1934.
By 1947 the couple had moved to Albury, NSW and in 1958 they are recorded as living at 23 Curtin Street, Cabramatta, near Sydney.
Elizabeth, late of Cabramatta, died on 28 September 1965 at the Buckhurst Private Hospital, Ashfield, Sydney aged 81. A Notice appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald of 29 September under the surname JOHNSON. Her address is recorded as 23 Curtin Street, Cabramatta.
Her death certificate records: “Father - unknown Norris, Brickworker; Mother – unknown” and her place of birth as Chelsea. She was married at age 34 to William John Johnston and had resided in Australia for 45 years.
Elizabeth was cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney.
William John Johnston, late of Ryde, formerly of Cabramatta, died at the Repatriation General Hospital, Concord on 13 March 1971, aged 82. At the time he was living at 8 Bruce Street, Ryde, NSW.
E. E. Poulter of the same address was the informant of his death and a Death Notice appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on 15 March. He was cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium on 18 March 1971.
His brother Archibald also served in WW1
PRIVATE ARCHIBALD JOHNSTON
1733 – 45th Infantry Battalion
Archibald Johnston was born in 1892 at Carlton, Victoria. He completed an ‘Application to Enlist in the Australian Imperial Force’ at Bathurst, NSW on 18 January 1916 stating his address as Porepunkah, Victoria.
He signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 19 January 1916, stating that he was 23 years and 9 months of age and a Driver by trade. He named as his Next-of-Kin his sister Mrs. Jessie Kean of Wyse Street, Albury, NSW.
Archibald signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 21 January at Bathurst, NSW. A medical examination the same day recorded that he was 5ft 5¼ins tall and weighed 8 stone 12 lbs. He had a dark complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He was of the Presbyterian faith.
After initial training at Depot Battalion, Bathurst, Archibald was appointed to the 2nd Reinforcements, 45th Battalion on 29 March 1916.
Archibald embarked at Sydney on board HMAT A40 Ceramic on 14 April 1916.
He was allotted to the 45th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt, on 26 May and taken on strength at Serapeum. He proceeded from Alexandria on 2 June on board Kinfauns Castle to join the British Expeditionary Force, disembarking at Marseilles, France on 8 June.
In January 1917 Jessie Keane wrote to Base Records advising her change of address to North Hill, Forbes, NSW in respect of her two brothers, Private A. Johnston No.1733 killed in action in France 5.7.16 and Sapper W.J. Johnston No.3503, Mining Co., Abroad.
In June 1917, Jessie again wrote to Base Records applying for her late brothers’ deferred pay or any other money due to him at the time of his death. She also inquired of his personal effects, having received only his identity disc.
In April 1920 William wrote to Base Records in reference to his brother Archibald Johnston who was killed in action in France. William inquired of Archibalds’ private belongings and his deferred pay. He mentioned that a photo of Archibalds’ grave had been forwarded to his sister Mrs. Jessie Keane in Forbes, NSW.
In December 1921, Jessie replied to Base Records inquiries advising that she was Archibalds’ eldest sister and that both parents were dead. She advised that there was one brother, W. Johnston, younger than herself, and gave his address as Junee Post Office, NSW. She advised that she had made several applications for her brothers’ gratuity, but had heard nothing.
In January 1922 William wrote from Junee Post Office to Base Records inquiring whether his late brother’s deferred pay had been drawn by his sister, Mrs J. Keane, and whether there were any moneys belonging to his brother. He advised that he was the only brother left in the family. Base Records passed the inquiry to the District Finance Office, 2nd Military District.
In July 1922 William wrote to base records advising his change of address to Nagle Street, Liverpool and advising that he had not received the Memorial Plaque. He inquired whether his two sisters or himself would be entitled to their late brothers Gratuity. He stated he had written several times to Victoria Barracks but had not received a reply.
In August 1922 Base Records wrote to William at Nagle Street acknowledging his change of address and advising that the Junee Post Office had been asked to forward the Memorial Plaque to William should it still be at that Post Office.
Base Records further advised that the matter of Gratuity in respect of Archibalds’ death had been referred to the Finance Office, Victoria Barracks.
Archibalds’ war memorabilia was passed to his family over the following years:
The Memorial Plaque was received by his brother William on 24 August 1922.
The Memorial Scroll and King’s Message were received by William on 19 March 1923.
In June 1923, William wrote to Base records asking if his brothers medals had been forwarded to him as he had not received them.
The British War Medal and Victory Medal were received by William on 10 July 1923.
Archibald Johnston is commemorated at Panel 139 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.
LEST WE FORGET
© Donna Baldey 2013
with the great assistance of Jan Davies, 1st cousin once removed of William John Johnston, who provided the majority of the family history detail.