Spence, John Alexander
3400 Sergeant John Alexander Spence DCM MM – 52nd Battalion
John Alexander Spence was born in Fremantle on the 12th July 1893 to Captain James and Louisa (Lucy) Spence. He was one of several brothers with Charles (1877), William (1879), Henry (1883), Walter (1885), Maynard (1888), Arthur (1890) and Hugh (1895). The family lived in Howard Street Fremantle and John was educated at Fremantle Boys School. While at school John also became a member of the Naval Cadets.
In 1912 when he was nineteen years old he joined the Royal Australian Navy, the sign on period being for five years. John was sent to the training base Cerberus where he was given the rank of Stoker 2nd Class. He spent a month here and was then assigned to the HMAS Encounter. John served on this ship through to New Years Eve 1912, as when the Encounter arrived in England, John was transferred to the London Depot of the Royal Australian Navy. He was stationed here until the 20th June 1913 and during this first phase of his career in the RAN his character was marked as Very Good. On the 21st June 1913 John transferred into the crew of the new battle cruiser HMAS Australia and he was now given the rank of Stoker.
The HMAS Australia was a brand new ship and once she had a full crew they sailed for Australia, reaching Sydney Harbour on the 4th October 1913. The Australia than sailed the seas around the country. In January 1914 the ship was in Hobart and it appears John and a Margaret Eleanor (Nell) Robson became romantically involved and they were soon married.
With the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914, HMAS Australia became the flagship of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force that captured the German colonies to the near north of Australia. John remained on the ship until the 13th February 1915. He was then returned to the training base Cerberus. It is unclear whether John requested to be released from his service but on the 24th March 1915 he was discharged from the Royal Australian Navy, short of his five years service. It may have also related to the death of his father in Fremantle in February.
John now returned home to Fremantle and for a short time resided with his mother in Howard Street Fremantle. It appears John’s wife Nell had moved to live with her parents in Randwick Sydney; he would later claim desertion on her part.
On the 29th July 1915 John went to the Swan Barracks in Perth to enlist in the AIF. He was given a medical examination and was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner recording John’s physical attributes as;
Height: 5 feet 5 & ¾ inches;
Weight: 141lbs;
Chest Measurement: 35-37 inches;
Complexion: Fair;
Eyes: Blue;
Hair: Fair;
Religious Denomination: Presbyterian
Distinctive Marks: Tattoos – Eagle & Australian flag on back, Australian coat of arms on chest, Advance Australia on left arm, Unity on right arm, MR & JS on left forearm, a bird (swallow) on both arms.
The Navy days seems to have left its mark on John with the amount of Tattoos he had acquired over the last few years. Upon his successful enlistment John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially allotted to No.20 Training Depot. On the 24th August 1915 he was transferred into “B” Company of No.1 Depot Battalion for further infantry training. John’s Brother Hugh was also in camp at this time, attached to the 10th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion but was soon discharged as medically unfit. John remained with this depot for just over a month as on the 28th September 1915 he was transferred into the 11th Reinforcements to the 12th Infantry Battalion AIF. This was only a small group in WA as the whole reinforcement group was also made up of Tasmanians and South Australians. The WA section of the 11th Reinforcements trained in WA until the end of October 1915. On the 1st November John and his group boarded the HMAT Benalla in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt, arriving at Alexandria just over three weeks later.
John and his group were then marched into the AIF reinforcement camp as by the time he had arrived in Egypt the decision had been made to evacuate Gallipoli. The 12th Battalion returned to Egypt in early January 1916 and its numbers were brought to full strength from the reinforcement camp.
However as there were an excess of reinforcements John had to remain with the 3rd Training Battalion in Egypt for the first two months of 1916. With the expansion of the AIF, the original battalions split in half to provide a good dose of veterans among the new units. When the 12th Battalion split, one half went on to form the 52nd Battalion, and reinforcements from the 3rd Training Battalion came in to complete the new Battalion. On the 3rd March 1916 John officially became a member of the 52nd Battalion AIF.
The 52nd Battalion formed part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division. The men of this new unit would train in Egypt for the next three months. At Serapeum Camp on the 1st June 1916 John was promoted to Lance Corporal. Four days later the 52nd Battalion boarded the HMT Ivernia in Alexandria and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 12th June 1916. The men were then marched through the City to the railway station where they boarded trains for the journey to Northern France.
The 52nd Battalion had their first taste of the Western Front near Fleurbaix. They were then relieved by the 5th Division AIF and journeyed to the Somme front where they would soon be in action. The 1st Australian Division captured the village of Pozieres on July 22nd and then had to endure a devastating German bombardment for almost a week. They were then relieved by the 2nd Australian Division who furthered the gains though at a horrendous cost of casualties. The 2nd Division was then relieved by the 4th Division. The 4th and 12th Brigades of the 4th Division were involved at Pozieres from early August 1916 though the 52nd Battalion and 13th Brigade were initially kept in Reserve.
On the 14th August John was in a fatigue party at Mouquet Farm when they were heavily shelled by the Germans, one shell killing eight men of the party. John went and helped retrieve the personal effects of No.3816 Ernie Gleeson, a fellow Fremantle soldier in the 52nd Battalion who had been thrown out of the trench by the explosion and killed instantly, though unfortunately due to the heavy shellfire they were not able to bury him.
Mouquet Farm was proving a tough obstacle to overcome and on the 3rd September 1916 the 52nd Battalion were involved in another assault to capture it. Initially good progress was made but the Germans were again able to successfully defend the Farm. John suffered a bomb wound to the right hand but it wasn’t serious and after having it bandaged John remained on duty.
After this action the Australians were transferred to the Ypres front in Belgium, which was at this time in 1916 a quieter part of the front. On the 16th September John was promoted to Corporal and the same day he was again promoted to Sergeant.
By November 1916 the 52nd Battalion were back on the Somme front as they would be spending the 1916/17 French winter in the muddy shell hole strewn battlefield. This winter was the coldest in decades and many men were evacuated ill from the freezing conditions though John’s health appeared not to be affected. During this period John and several other 52nd Battalion men had their photos taken by the Thulliers in Vignacourt. (Photo below-John Spence front row left)
In late February 1917 the Germans began their withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, though they were pressed all the way by Australian and British units and several sharp fights occurred around the Hindenburg Line outpost villages near Bapaume; the 52nd Battalion being involved in actions near Noreuil in early April 1917. John came through this action unscathed and on April 11th the 52nd were in reserve when the 4th & 12 Brigades of the 4th Division attacked Bullecourt. Unfortunately the assault was a failure and the 52nd Battalion helped to collect casualties.
There was to be no rest for the 4th Division, as in May the 1st, 2nd & 5th Divisions were withdrawn for a three month rest period out of the line. The 4th Division however were transferred to join the 3rd Australian Division in southern Belgium where they would be involved in the Battle of Messines. Mines had been placed under the German lines and on June 7th 1917 they were detonated, which devastated the German front line positions. While the 3rd Australian, New Zealand and British divisions helped take the initial objectives, the 4th Australian Division were tasked with further objectives which had been untouched by the mine blasts, and consequently tougher resistance was faced. John showed great courage in the Messines battle and he was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The official recommendation reads;
“During the operations of 7th June 1917, at Messines he showed great courage and coolness leading his men in attack. He captured two enemy field guns killing or capturing the crews. During the action of 9th June at the same place he patrolled under machine gun fire and worked continuously at consolidating.”
Despite some trouble in linking up with flanking units, the 52nd took their objectives and continued to hold the line on the Messines front.
On the 25th June John was given a rest from front line service when he was sent to England for six months to work on the staff at the 13th Training Battalion at Codford Camp on the Salisbury Plains. On the 27th August John was appointed Acting Company Sergeant Major and he had been presented with his DCM by the King in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. He wrote a bittersweet letter to his wife Nell;
“Just a few lines to let you know that I have agreed to make an allotment of 4/- per day to you but you do not deserve it as I have proof that you have not been true to me since I left in the Navy, and that is the reason you have not heard from me for a few years. Well I don’t know whether you will be pleased or not, but I have been decorated by the King with the D.C.M. for gallant bravery in the battlefield. I have been in England for a few weeks now. I am an Instructor here, and will be here for 6 months so if you feel inclined to write to me I hope you would do so as things are very miserable over here. Will now close,
Your broken hearted husband, John A Spence.”
John would spend the majority of his time at Codford and Tidworth on the Salisbury Plains. Though it may have been miserable in England John was perhaps fortunate to miss the Third Battle of Ypres, which his battalion participated in during September/October 1917.
On the 31st December 1917 John reverted back to the rank of Sergeant from being a temporary CSM, and the same day left the 13th Training Battalion and proceeded to France, arriving at Le Havre on the 1st January 1918. John only spent three days at the Australian Division Base Depot and rejoined the 52nd Battalion near Peronne on the 4th January 1918. The 52nd Battalion soon moved back to the Messines/Warneton sector of southern Belgium where they were on a regular routine of front line duty. This continued up till the 21st March 1918 when the Germans launched a massive assault on the Third and Fifth British Armies.
The German attack broke the front and they were making a speedy advance, capturing places like Peronne and Bullecourt in the process. The Germans were making a speedy advance towards Amiens and so the Third and Fourth Australian Divisions were sent south to try and bring them to a halt.
The 13th Brigade was sent to the Dernancourt sector and though the initial German advance was stopped, on April 4th they launched another large assault on the Australian positions, held by the 12th & 13th Brigades. It was one of the heaviest attacks faced by the Australians in the war and despite some ground being lost; the Germans were stopped from achieving the result they wanted. For his bravery in this action John was awarded the Military Medal. The official recommendation reads;
“At daybreak when leading a patrol, he came in touch with the enemy and returned with valuable information of an assembly for an attack. Later during the attack he showed great courage, engaging the enemy at close quarters. After the Company had been forced to withdraw, he led a party into a forward position and did excellent work, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. By his personal example and good leadership he continuously rallied his men to greater efforts.”
The 13th Brigade soon went into reserve but a few weeks later they were involved in the successful counter attack at Villers-Bretonneux on April 25th 1918. John again showed great courage in the action but as he was guiding German prisoners to captivity, a German officer grabbed a rifle off a soldier and shot at John, the bullet shattering his hip. However before he collapsed to the ground John was able to draw his pistol and shoot the German officer. Stretcher bearers soon collected John and took him to the 25th Field Ambulance and later sent to the 11th Stationary Hospital.
On the 30th April 1918 John was shipped to England and was admitted to Alexandra Hospital in Cosham. John remained in this hospital until the 21st of June when he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. John’s wound had improved quite well as he was granted a furlough from the 24th June to the 8th July 1918. He then reported for duty to No.4 Command Depot at Hurdcott. Though he had largely recovered from his wound John was not medically fit enough to return to France so he was kept in the depot for the next two months. John may have tried to undertake too much activity too soon as on the 17th September he was sent to Fovant Military Hospital due to his wound playing up. John would remain in hospital until the 18th October 1918 when he was released and returned to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. Three days later John moved to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth in preparation of being returned to Australia. John was still at this base when the Armistice was declared and he would have been able to celebrate this in England.
It appears that during the last six months in England John had still been nominally attached to the 52nd Battalion, despite his unit being disbanded after the Villers-Bretonneux action in April 1918. The men of the 52nd were then shared between the 49th, 50th and 51st Battalion’s.
However as he never returned to action John was shown as still being with the 52nd Battalion.
On the 10th December 1918 John boarded the HMT Somali and set sail home for Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 21st January 1919. John was sent to No.8 AGH in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical examination and after being released from hospital John returned to the family home in Howard Street Fremantle. He was officially discharged from the AIF on the 22nd March 1919.
Two of John’s brothers also served in the AIF; No.382 Arthur Rennie Spence with the 44th Battalion and 2248 Walter Spence who served with the 4th Battalion ICC and 1st LH Signal Squadron. Both Arthur and Walter survived the war and returned to Fremantle in 1919.
In 1920 John married Alma Ulrich in Fremantle and they would have two children, Joy (born 1921) and Trevor (1923). The family lived at Hubble Street East Fremantle and John was soon employed at Fremantle Tramways where he became a Tram Driver. In 1928 John was involved in an accident on Fremantle Traffic Bridge when he hit a cyclist who crossed into his path without warning. The cyclist died but an inquest found that John was not at fault.
Through the post war years John also kept up his love of sports and helped train both Army and Navy recruits in boxing and other activities. John had been a very keen boxer and it was later claimed in newspaper reports that during his time with the RAN from 1912-1914 he won the Navy’s lightweight boxing championship three times, and also won one tournament while in France with the AIF. John Spence had reportedly fought as a boxer in Fremantle under the name ‘Snowy Kitson’. John trained the Army and Navy members in boxing up until the mid 1930’s.
Unfortunately on the home front trouble brewed for John as even though his first wife Nell had deserted him, he had never officially dissolved the marriage or divorced her by the time he married Alma Ulrich in 1920. In 1929, John’s first wife Nell took action in NSW in the courts and a divorce was granted. Subsequently John and Alma had another official wedding ceremony in 1930. Unfortunately Alma soon developed ill health and she died in 1934, aged just 32. She was buried in Fremantle Cemetery and the pall bearers were a mix of family, Fremantle Tramway Union Officials, Officers from the Naval Athletics Club and the 12th Battalion Association.
In 1939 John remarried to Edith E Sanders in Fremantle and she had also had a previous marriage and had two sons, Norman and Ken, whom John became step-father to. In World War Two, John’s son Trevor enlisted for service and was initially assigned as (W47424) Gunner to the 5th Anti Tank Battery which was based in WA. Unfortunately Trevor Spence injured his back in April 1942 and despite treatment he died on the 1st May 1942. The Spence family would later allege negligence with the Medical staff at Hollywood Military Hospital as no X-Rays were taken of Trevor’s back injury to determine how serious the injury was. Trevor was buried in Fremantle Cemetery.
John Spence lived in Fremantle for the remainder of his life, dying in the suburb of Hilton on the 20th November 1962. A life full of service to his country.
He was buried with his son Trevor in the Presbyterian section of Fremantle Cemetery Plot Mon EE 0629.