Christie, John Robert

No.402 – Sergeant John Robert Christie – 28^th Battalion AIF

John Robert Christie was born in South Fremantle in 1892 to Thomas and Mary Christie. The family house was at 55 McCleery Street in Beaconsfield. John grew up in South Fremantle and attended Beaconsfield State School and from the age of 14 was a military cadet. After leaving school he took up work as an apprentice Fitter and learned the engineering field. However he soon finished this work and became a farmer out near West Guildford.

On the 4^th February 1915, John offered his services at the Midland Junction recruitment office. He was given a medical examination and was passed as fit. The doctor found John to be 5 feet 6 ½ inches tall; weight of 136 lbs; chest measurement of 35 inches; fair complexion; hazel eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Presbyterian. Initially assigned to No.11 Depot Company, on the 16^th April 1915 he was allotted to C Company of the newly forming 28^th Battalion with the regimental no.402.

This group trained in WA until they embarked from Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Ascanius” on the 29^th June 1915. After their arrival in Egypt in late July they were given further training and were soon told to prepare to head for Gallipoli. On the 4^th September 1915 the Battalion embarked from Egypt and made their way to the peninsula. After their arrival they were sent to part of the newly captured territory to hold the new trenches around positions such as the Apex. The 28^th were not involved in any major actions on Gallipoli but still had a steady stream of casualties.

 However John got through the final months of the campaign unscathed and was evacuated only when the Battalion was withdrawn from the peninsula. The 28^th Battalion firstly was taken to Mudros and on the 4^th January 1916 while on the island John was sent to hospital with influenza. On the 11^th January he left Mudros bound for Egypt but was in the ships hospital still suffering from influenza. On arrival in Egypt he was sent to hospital to recover and only rejoined the 28^th Battalion on the 6^th March 1916. Ten days later the 28^th Battalion left Egypt for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 21^st March 1916.

The 28^th were sent to the north of France where they went into the line near Armentieres and Fleurbaix. They would spend the next few months in this area, during which time they also conducted the first Australian trench raid in France. In July they were sent south to the Somme battlefield. On the 29^th July they attacked the German positions along the Pozieres road and were decimated. A further assault on August 4^th brought more casualties to the unit. Fortunately John survived the actions at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. The 28^th were then sent for a rest in Belgium in what was then a quieter part of the front but soon returned to the Somme in late October 1916. In early November John was wounded in the shoulder during an assault by the 28^th Battalion on the German trenches at Flers. He was evacuated back to the 4^th General Hospital at Camiers but soon recovered and was sent to the 2^nd Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples.

John rejoined the 28^th Battalion on the 26^th December 1916 and on the 30^th December was promoted to Lance Corporal, and on the 18^th January 1917 to Temporary Corporal. On the 24^th February he was made Corporal. On the 3^rd March 1917 he was sent to a course at the 2^nd Division school, returning on the 10^th April. On the 12^th April he was promoted to Temporary Sergeant and on the 1^st May to be Sergeant. This was just in time for the 2^nd Battle of Bullecourt and on the 3^rd May 1917 John was wounded in the heel. He was evacuated back to hospital on the French coast where the wound was deemed serious enough for his evacuation to England. On the 19^th May 1917 he was admitted to Devonport Military Hospital and was released on the 4^th June 1917. He was given a period of furlough and reported to Perham Downs on the 19^th June 1917.

At Perham Downs he was given a position at the School of Musketry and spent the next few months in camp in England in various roles. John arrived back to the 28^th Battalion in France on the 20^th October 1917, so he fortunately missed the Third Battle of Ypres. The winter months were spent in the line near Warneton though on the 21^st January 1918 he got into trouble for going absent without Leave for several hours. He faced a court martial and forfeited 4 days pay as a punishment.

He spent 1918 with the Battalion and went with them to the Somme to combat the German breakthrough and from April to August was in the vicinity of Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux. On August 8^th the large allied offensive began and the Australians advanced rapidly, pushing the Germans back. From August till October the Australians were constantly in action, though as they were low in numbers were about to be withdrawn for a well deserved rest. On the 3^rd October 1918 the 28^th Battalion took part in their last action of the war in the Beaurevoir Line. It was a successful attack though Sgt John Christie was killed. 15 members of the 28^th Battalion were killed that day, though John Christie is the only one without a known grave. He is therefore commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial. There was an unofficial report that he was buried at a spot near Bellevue Farm, about 1 mile due west of the Beaurevoir line but no map reference was given.