John James Thorpe

"Bloody Lucky" by Jack Thorpe OAM page 3
Personal Information
Date of Birth	15 Nov 1897
Place of Birth	Fremantle, Western Australia
Death	5 Jan 1960
Place of Death	Bassendean, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	18 Years old
Description	5'10½" (1.79m)tall; weight 142 lbs (64.4 kg); fresh complexion, brown eyes, dark hair.
Occupation	teamster
Religion	Church of England
Address	Mardella via Mundijong, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Edward Thorpe
Military Information
Reg Number	1162 & W15697
Date of Enlistment	1 Sep 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	1st tour - 11th Battalion, 13th Reinforcement / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division 2nd tour - 2nd Australian Light Railway Operating Company
Date of Embarkation	17 Jan 1916 - 9 Feb 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A30 Borda
Date of Return	9 Sep 1916 - 13 Oct 1916
Ship Returned On	HMAT A61 Kanowna
Date of Embarkation	24 Nov 1917 - 30 Dec 1917 to Port Suez
Ship Embarked On	SS Canberra
Date of Return	10 Dec 1918 - 31 Jan 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Somali
Fate	Wounded in Action 22/24 Jul 1916 Poziéres Returned to Australia (twice)
Monument	Mundijong
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Seven weeks after beginning his training in Australia, John was allocated to the 13th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion.

He arrived in Port Suez in time to join the troops embarking for France. On 29 Mar 1916 he boarded the HMT Transylvania for Marseilles, arriving there on 4 Apr 1916.

Not yet allocated to a unit, he was sent to the Base Depot in Étaples where he caught mumps, and was hospitalised in the 7th General Hospital at St Omer from 1 May 1916. He rejoined the base depot on 24 May 1916 and was then sent to the 11th Battalion where he was allocated to B Company.

Wounded in Action with a shrapnel wound to his right arm, neck, knee, leg, and foot (right heel shattered) during fighting at Pozieres 22/24 Jul 1916. On the 24th he was seen by 1st Australian Field Ambulance before being passed to the 44th Casualty Clearing Station, and then the No 8 Red Cross Hospital at Le Touquet on 26 Jul 1916. Evacuated to England from Calais on HMHS Dieppe, he was treated at the Bradford War Hospital, before being released to the Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield on 24 Aug 1916.

On 9 Sep 1916 he boarded HMAT A61 Kanowna for return to Australia where he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 22 Mar 1917, with a pension of 30/- a fortnight.

Between visits to the war, John spent time in the West Australian Government Railways as an engine cleaner.

He entered camp in Western Australia for a second time on 29 Oct 1917, and having qualified as a Fireman, on 22 Nov 1917 he was allocated to General Reinforcements, Railway Companies.

Returned to the UK on 30 Jan 1918, he entered Longmoor camp for training before posting to France. On 20 Mar 1918 John proceeded to France via Folkestone where on the 28th he was taken on strength of the 2nd Australian Light Railway Operating Company.

Seven months later, on 10 Oct 1918 he reported to hospital with bronchitis and on 21 Oct was evacuated to England aboard the HS Princesse Elisabeth. Admitted to the Central Military Hospital Clapham on 21 Oct, he was released to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 1 Nov 1918 and remained with them until 25 Nov 1918.

Sent home early, he was discharged at 5th Military District on 20 Feb 1919.

Post War

Nov 1920 married Monica Glory Spencer. Children were Jack (2nd AIF POW), June (AWAS WW2), Norma and Ron (RAN during WW2). Divorced while living in Armadale.

1934 married Sara Helen George Hughes (d.9 Sep 2004 in Maylands aged 97). Daughter Zoe. Monica remarried in 1935 to Albert Haseldine). Zoe lives in the USA.

Electoral Roll entries - 1919 -1924 "Pozières", Serpentine road, East Rockingham (Current Kwinana Golf Course); 1924 Jarrahdale bus proprietor; 1930 - 1938 Armadale, bus proprietor; 1938 Three Springs Hotel, hotel proprietor; 1939 - 1945 served as 290364 Flight Lieutenant (Instructor) with RAAF at Laverton RAAF Base; 1946 Three Springs; 1954 - 1958 businessman at 75 North road, Bassendean. In 1963 Sarah was at Flat 21, 48 Mount street, teacher; 1968 she was at 7 Daylesford road, Bassendean; 1972 at 4/9 Parker street, South Perth; 1977 at 1314 Tranby-on-Swan, Maylands; 1980.

Notes

For a number of years John ran the Armadale Bus service until bought out by the Metropolitan Transport Trust.

His son John Roy (Jack) Thorpe OAM served with the 2nd AIF and was captured by the japanese, but lived to tell the tale in his book "Bloody Lucky". He also served with the Occupying Force in Japan and later in Korea with 3 Battalion RAR.