Cunningham, John

No.3964 – Sgt John Cunningham – 28^th Battalion AIF

John Cunningham was born in Ayr Scotland in 1875 to Alexander and Margaret Cunningham. He attended the Tarbolum school in Scotland and when he was 16 joined the Ayr Volunteers as a Bugler. He also later served for two years with the 2^nd Volunteer Battalion of the Scottish Fusiliers. John took up work as a Gardener and continued this work while in Scotland. In 1896 he got married to Annie in Ayr and they had two daughters, Margaret and Agnes. In 1910 they travelled to Western Australia and took up residence in William Street Fremantle.

Upon arrival in WA John took up work as a wood cutter and on the 29^th December 1915 enlisted into the AIF under the assumed name of John Shields. He was accepted for service with the medical examiner finding John to be 5 feet 9 ½ inches tall; weight of 155 lbs; chest measurement of 36-38 inches; dark complexion; blue eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Presbyterian. After spending a month in No.39 Depot, John was assigned to the 15^th Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion and then the 9^th Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion.

He trained with this group in WA until they embarked from Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Miltiades” on the 12^th February 1916. After arriving in Egypt John was sent to the Infantry Depot and did not join the 28^th Battalion while he was there and so he stayed in the depot till the end of May 1916. On the 29^th May 1916 he left Egypt for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 5^th June. He proceeded to the north of France to join the 2^nd Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples and only joined the 28^th Battalion on the 14^th July 1916, just in time for the Battle of the Somme. John went through the actions at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm without a scratch. After the actions on the Somme the battalion went into Belgium in September where John got into trouble for a short period of being absent without leave. He was given 7 days of Field Punishment No.2 and was fined 8 days pay.

On the 24^th October he informed the battalion that his real name was John Cunningham and these changes were made on the battalion records.

In November the Battalion were back on the Somme where they launched an assault on the Germans trenches at Flers. The attack was unsuccessful though John came through unhurt. On the 26^th December 1916 he was promoted to Corporal and on the 25^th January 1917 to Temporary Sergeant. This position of Sergeant was confirmed on the 6^th March 1917. John served with the 28^th until the 3^rd of May 1917 when the 28^th Battalion took part in the 2^nd Battle of Bullecourt. John suffered serious wounds to his arms and was evacuated back to the 5^th Field Ambulance.

From there he was transferred to the 3^rd Casualty Clearing Station and then on to the 9^th General Hospital at Rouen. On the 17^th May 1917 he left France on the aptly named HS “Western Australian”. Once in England he was admitted to the Holborn Military Hospital in Mitcham. He was in hospital for a few months and was only discharged on the 4^th August 1917 when he was given a two week furlough. After this leave was over he was to have reported to Montevideo Camp at Weymouth. However he overstayed his leave by four days and on reporting to camp in Weymouth was severely reprimanded by the officer in charge, a Colonel RS Browne and was fined 5 days pay.

John was to spend the next several months in England being attached to the Permanent Cadre of the AIF Training Depots. On the 1^st June 1918 he left Folkestone England for France and rejoined the 28^th Battalion on the 15^th June 1918. He spent the next two months with the battalion and was with them on August 8^th 1918 on the first day of the Amiens offensive when the Germans were routed.

The 28^th Battalion took all their objectives and on the 11^th August John was slightly wounded in the back but remained on duty. The Germans were being pushed back and the 28^th Battalion were involved through August and September. On the 2^nd September in the vicinity of Peronne John was wounded for the third occasion of the war. He sustained multiple wounds from a shell burst and was sent back to No.53^rd Casualty Clearing Station and then to hospital at Rouen.

On the 7^th September he was evacuated to England and on arrival was sent to No.1 Southern General Hospital Edgbaston Birmingham. Unfortunately the wounds proved too severe and he died on the 9^th September 1918. He was given a military funeral at Lodge Hill Cemetery Birmingham with the Reverend D.J. Moir-Porteous officiating and firing party and bugler in attendance.