Flood, John Hope

No.2844 – Private John Hope Flood – 12^th Battalion AIF

John Hope Flood was born in Broken Hill New South Wales to Constantine and Maria Flood on the 12^th November 1893. He was one of four children, with his sisters Maria and Ann & brother Con. The family moved across to Western Australia while John was still young and took up residence at 151 Forrest Street Fremantle. John was educated at Christian Brothers College Fremantle and after leaving school took up work as an accountancy clerk. He began work with the WA Government Railways in this role in February 1910, being based at the Midland Junction workshop. John was also studying civil engineering prior to the Great War.

On the 9^th July 1915 John went to the Perth Drill Hall to enlist in the AIF. He was accepted as fit with the medical examiner finding John to be 5 feet 6 inches tall; weight of 139 lbs; chest measurement of 33-35 inches; dark complexion; blue eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Roman Catholic. John was initially sent to No.15 Depot, but on the 16^th July 1915 was assigned to the 9^th Reinforcements to the 12^th Battalion. He trained with this group in WA for the next few months as they did not embark from Fremantle until the 1^st October 1915 when they boarded the H.M.A.T. “Hororata”.

After John arrived in Egypt he was put into the AIF infantry depot at Zeitoun and waited until the 12^th Battalion returned from Gallipoli. The 12^th Battalion returned in early 1916 with John being taken on strength at Tel-el-Kebir on the 19^th January. On the 8^th February John was sent to hospital sick and at the 1^st Australian Stationary Hospital he was diagnosed with having VD. On the 10^th February he was then transferred to the 1^st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Abbassia. He was discharged from hospital on the 22^nd February and sent to the overseas base details at Ghezireh. On the 11^th March 1916 he rejoined the 12^th Battalion. Just over two weeks later the 12^th Battalion left Egypt bound for France.

Arriving at Marseilles on the 5^th April 1916 the men were put on to trains and sent north to the region around Armentieres. They would spend the next few months here becoming accustomed to front line conditions.

In July 1916 they left the Armentieres region and proceeded to the Somme where a battle had been raging since July 1^st. On the 21^st July the 1^st Division to which the 12^th Battalion belonged were tasked with the capture of Pozieres Village. The village was successfully captured but John was wounded by shrapnel through the shoulder. He was evacuated to No.3 Casualty Clearing Station and then to No.1 Australian General Hospital at Rouen. Here John’s wound was assessed and it was deemed serious enough for evacuation to England. On the 27^th July 1916 John was admitted to the Beaufort War Hospital in Bristol.

John remained in England until the end of December 1916. After he had recovered from his wounds in hospital he was transferred to the 3^rd Training Battalion from where he waited to be drafted back to France. On the 30^th December 1916 he left Folkestone Harbour and arrived at Etaples on the 31^st December. On arrival here John was sent to the 1^st Australian Division Base Depot. He spent a week here and rejoined the 12^th Battalion on the 8^th January 1917. The 12^th Battalion were spending the winter on the Somme in the vicinity of Flers.

The 12^th Battalion were soon tasked with the capture of the small French village of Le Barque, however in the days before the battle John was severely wounded by shrapnel in the head. He was evacuated back to the 1^st Australian Field Ambulance and then to the 45^th Casualty Clearing Station. Unfortunately on the 26^th February 1917 John died of his wounds. He was buried at Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension plot V.D.19. After he was buried his battalion mates erected a cross on his grave.