John Alexander Adamson

Western Mail 22 Oct 1915 page 23
Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known
Place of Birth	Port Pirie, South Australia
Death	17 May 1947, aged 53
Place of Death	Hollywood Repatriation Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	19 years, 11 months
Description	5'4" (1.63m) tall; weight 112 lbs (50.8 kg); dark complexion, blue eyes, dark brown hair.
Occupation	farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Mundijong, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr John Adamson
Military Information
Reg Number	1103
Date of Enlistment	16 Sep 1914
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 1st Reinforcement B Company / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	22 Dec 1914 - ? January 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A32 Themistocles
Date of Return	23 Sep 1918 - 14 Nov 1918
Ship Returned On	HMAT A54 Runic
Fate	Wounded in Action 13 Mar 1918
Monument	Mundijong
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

On arrival in Egypt he spent a short time in a training battalion before joining the 11th Battalion at Mena on 28 Feb 1915.

On 2 Mar 1915 he embarked on HMAT A23 Suffolk in Alexandria for Lemnos. It is not known whether he landedg with his battalion as part of the 'cover force' or if the reinforcement group landed separately. John was chose on 6 Jul 1915 to be a member of the Permanent Beach Party under the command of the 12th Battalion Adjutant. On 20 Aug 1915 John reported to the 2nd Field Ambulance with diarrhoea and on 29 Aug 1915 he was transferred to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station.

The next entry in his records was his admittance to the Military Hospital in Lewisham, England on 15 Sep 1915 where he spent 10 days before being released to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. On 23 Nov 1915 he has been moved to a base at Abbey Wood, and then on 8 Jun 1916 he is taken on strength by the Bulford Depot from Abbey Wood. On 27 Aug 1916 he transfered to the 3rd Training Battalion at Perham Downs No 6 Camp for retraining before going to France. However, on 11 Oct 1916 he was admitted to the Bulford Hospital with VD. He was to return to training, interrupted by one more hospital spell for VD (193 days) and one with septic fingers in May 1917. On 5 and 6 Sep 1917 he is reassessed for overseas duty and found to be fit, but almost immediately absented himself from a parade which was rewarded with 7 days confined to barracks. Finally on 23 Oct 1917 he embarks for France in Southampton, arriving in Le Havre the next morning.

11 Nov 1917 found him being taken on strength by the 11th Battalion after an absence of more than two years.

On 13 Mar 1918 the battalion was in the line in fine weather, subject to enemy artillery which caused 3 casualties that day, all wounded. John was one of these men. seen the same day by first the 1st Australian Field Ambulance and then the 11th Casualty Clearing Station, he was placed on an Ambulance Train and admitted to the Australian General Hospital in Boulogne on 20 Mar 1918.

Evacuated to England on 5 Apr 1918 aboard the HS Jan Beydel, he was admitted to the King George Hospital, in Stamford, South London with severe concussion to head and shoulders. Transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 3 May he is not released until 5 Jul 1918.

On 23 Sep 1918 he is returned to Australia for change, and discharged at the 5th Military District on 31 Jan 1919, but not before one last misdemeanor, going AWOL from the Runic in Fremantle on 13 Nov 1918.

Post War

On 3 Jan 1929 John married Doris Marie Chapman in Northam. Son Derrick Roy was born on 16 Nov 1929 John Philip was born in Greenmount on 5 Jan 1931twins Bruce Edward and Gloria Dawn followed on 10 Apr 1932 Electoral Roll entries - 1925 in Lake Grace, a secretary; in 1931 with Doris Marie at Woolloomooloo road, Greenmount a clerk; 1936 a clerk at 108 Second avenue, Bassendean, but in 1937 nil occupation; 1943 at Hale road, Forrestfield, a clerk.

Between 1949 and 1963 Doris remains in Hale road, Forrestfield, in 1963 with daughter Doreen Nance.