Ainsworth, Jack

1451 Private Jack Ainsworth 16th Battalion AIF

Jack Ainsworth was born in South Melbourne Victoria in 1894 to William & Francis Ainsworth. When the family moved to Western Australia, the family took up residence in several areas before settling in Fremantle, initially at Sewell Street and later in Forrest Street.

Jack worked a lot in country areas such as Ajana as a Teamster & farmer. When war was declared the minimum recruiting age was initially 21 years old so Jack, only 20 when he went to the recruiting office in November 1914, put up his age by a year to enlist. He was 5 feet 9 ½ inches in height, 144 lbs in weight; 35-37 inches in chest measurement; Dark complexion, blue eyes & black hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

After being passed as fit, Jack was assigned to the 2^nd Reinforcements to the 16^th Battalion which left Fremantle aboard the A50 Itonus on the 22^nd February 1915.

After only a short time training in Egypt, Jack was assigned to the 16^th Battalion which went ashore at Gallipoli early in the evening of the 25^th April 1915. The 16^th were sent to the crucial area around Popes Hill and managed to stop any Turkish penetration of the Australian line. The Australian & New Zealand lines were under fire from Turkish positions on higher ground and on May 2^nd an attack was attempted by the 4^th Brigade of which the 16^th Battalion bore the brunt. The position the men of the 16^th held for a time was later called Dead Man’s Ridge. Unfortunately they were pushed out by Turkish forces that could pore in a withering fire from their higher positions. The casualties for the 16^th were immense, Jack Ainsworth being one of those to fall.

In 1922 his remains were found by the war graves exhumation parties who retrieved his identity discs, which were returned to his family in Fremantle. Jack was buried in Quinn's Post Cemetery

Photo - Kalgoorlie Sun 4th July 1915 page 16