McCarthy, John

No.868 – Gunner John McCarthy – 36^th Heavy Artillery Group

Richard John (Jack) McCarthy was born in Fremantle WA on the 1^st January 1894 to Daniel and Margaret McCarthy. He was educated at Christian Brothers College Fremantle and after leaving school began work as a Boiler Maker’s Assistant at the Midland Workshops. Jack travelled far for work as he lived with his family at 170 King Street in East Fremantle and he also served in the 11^th Garrison Artillery which was based in Fremantle, and he served at such sites as Fort Forrest on Arthur Head. Jack’s brother Bertram had enlisted in 1915 and served with the 11^th Battalion and Jack wanted to enlist to, and being a member in home service of the 11^th AGA he wanted to serve in the Artillery on the Western Front.

On the 18^th October 1916 Jack enlisted into the AIF at the Fremantle Barracks of the permanent Artillery Garrison and he would be assigned to the 36^th Heavy Artillery Group. The medical examination found John to be 5 feet 10 & ½ inches tall; weight of 11 stone; chest measurement of 35 inches, fair complexion, light blue eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Roman Catholic. Jack and the WA enlistees for the 36^th HAG were sent to Sydney to complete their training at the South Head Fort. They remained here until the 10^th February 1917 when they boarded the RMS Osterley in Sydney Harbour and set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth on the 11^th April 1917.

Jack and his group were disembarked and sent to No.3 Camp at Parkhouse where they remained until the 23^rd April. They were then transferred to the 36^th HAG Reinforcements Camp at Stowlangtoft. Jack remained here for another month and on the 25^th May 1917 was sent to Southampton to board a transport ship for the journey across the Channel. On arrival in France Jack was sent to the RGA Depot at Le Havre. He spent over two weeks here and on the 15^th June was transferred to the Artillery General Base Dept at Rouelles.

Jack remained here for the next few months and it wasn’t until the 18^th September 1917 that he joined the 55^th Battery of the 36^th Heavy Artillery Group. Jack’s unit was providing crucial artillery support during the Third Battle of Ypres and helped support the Australian advances along the Menin Road, through Polygon Wood and Broodseinde Ridge towards Passchendaele. However with their battery positions near Ypres being visible to the Germans on higher ground, the 36^th HAG’s Battery positions were often shelled and on October 4^th 1917 a salvo landed on the 55^th Battery guns, killing around 17 of the 55^th Battery, including Jack. Those killed were taken back and buried in what was then called the Ypres Prison Cemetery but later became Ypres Reservoir Cemetery. The men of the Battery fashioned the wooden crosses from the wood of the Ypres Cathedral. Gunner Jack McCarthy lies in plot I.F.71.

His brother Bertram was severely wounded at Pozieres and was returned home in late 1916.