John Donald Stalker

John Donald Stalker

Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1886
Place of Birth	Dunedin, New Zealand
Age at Enlistment	29 years, 8 months
Description	5'9½" (1.77m) tall ; 183lbs 83.007 kg ; blue eyes ; fair hair
Occupation	Mill hand
Religion	Church of England
Address	Arnold street, Gosnells, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother , Mrs Christina Stalker
Military Information
Reg Number	[ 2074]
Date of Enlistment	6 Mar 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 5th Reinforcement posted to B Company
Date of Embarkation	26 Apr 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A20 Hororata
Date of Return	23 May 1917 ‒ 9 Jul 1917
Ship Returned On	HMAT A33 Ayrshire
Fate	WIA WIA 4 Feb 1917
Monument	Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll

War Service

John entered Blackboy Hill camp on 6 Mar 1915 and was allocated to the 5th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion. He travelled with them to Egypt and on to Gallip;oli where he was taken on strength by the 16th Battalion on 28 Jul 1915.

On 8 Aug 1915 he presented to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance dressing station with a bullet wound to his right hand before being transferred to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station and then on 9 Aug 1915 to the 3rd Australian General Hospital on Lemnos. On 21 Aug 1915 he was evacuated on HMHS Neuralia to the Floriana Military Hospital on Malta, and on 18 Sep 1915 he was again transferred, this time on the SS Oxfordshire operating as a hospital ship, to England. Arriving on 25 Sep 1915, he was admitted to the 2nd Birmingham War Hospital. (Lost one finger joint). Discharged to duty on 19 Oct 1915.

On recovering from his wound, John joined the 21st draft to his unit and returned to Egypt on HMT Ivernia on 16 Feb 1916. John had rejoined his unit in Egypt on 5 Mar 1916, and thus was with them when they boarded the SS Canada in Alexandria harbour on 1 Jun 1916 for Marseilles in southern France where they arrived on 7 Jun 1916.

After a short march they boarded a train for northern France and the Western Front. Here they participated in battles at Poziéres (406 casualties)and Mouquet Farm (231 casualties); and held the line near Flers during the bitter winter of 1916-17. While one entry in John's individual record has him wounded by shell fire on 5 Feb 1917, the battalion history "The Old Sixteenth" has this occurring on 4 Feb 1917. This is confirmed in the medical report.

Wounded with a bullet, he was seen by the 12th Australian Field Ambulance who transferred him to the 45th Casualty Clearing Station the same day. The wound was to his left eye, nose and right arm, causing the loss of his left eye which was removed on 6 Feb 1917. Transferred to the 13th Stationary Hospital on 7 Feb 1917, John was embarked on HMHS Cambria in Boulogne Harbour for England on 11 Feb 1917.

On arrival in England John was admitted to the 2nd London General Hospital in Chelsea, before being released to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 14 Mar 1917. Granted furlough from 10 - 25 Apr 1917, he then reported to No 2 Command Depot in Weymouth to rebuild his strength. Three days later on 24 Apr 1917 he was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital in Bulford for VD treatment, and on 16 May 1917 he was released to duty. Total VD treatment time (ineffective service) was 23 days.

On arrival home, John was admitted to the 8th Australian General Hospital at Fremantle from 9 Jul to 6 Aug 1917 for further treatment. Discharged by the 5th Military District on 22 Aug 1917, and granted a pension of 30/- ($3) fortnightly from 23 Aug 1917.