Caird, John James

No.1108 Gunner John James Caird - 2nd Australian Siege Battery

John Caird was born in Broken Hill NSW on the 12^th January 1896. As with his brother Alex, the family soon moved to Western Australia and took up residence in High Street Fremantle. After leaving school John took up work as a salesman and during this time he also served with the 11^th Garrison Artillery which was based in Fremantle. During the early years of the war John would serve as a Gunner at the Artillery Barracks Fremantle. Many of the permanent Gunners had left to serve overseas in June 1915 and they were replaced by the Militia Gunners. Due to his artillery background John put in an application to join the 36^th Heavy Artillery Group on the Western Front but due to a backlog of artillery reinforcements it wasn’t until the 16^th June 1917 that his enlistment was accepted.

Even though he was then serving as a Gunner at the Artillery Barracks, he was still required to have a fitness examination. Captain East of the Australian Army Medical Corps gave John a physical examination at the Barracks and he was passed as fit. Captain East recorded John’s physical attributes as Height of 5 feet 8 inches; weight of 149lbs; chest measurement of 39 inches, fair complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

After is successful enlistment, John and the other Gunners were sent to NSW to complete their training. On the 9^th November 1917 John departed from Sydney on the HMAT Demothesenes. The ship went via the United States and the ship eventually arrived at Glasgow Scotland on the 31^st December 1917. After being disembarked the men were sent to the Heavy Artillery Training Depot near Devonport. John trained in England during January and on the 1^st February 1918 he arrived in France where he was marched into the Artillery General Base Depot at Rouelles. During his training here John was accidentally wounded when he shot himself in the hand. It was ruled an accident and the wound was only slight so on the 15^th March 1918 John joined the 2^nd Australian Siege Battery.

He served with this unit through the remainder of 1918 and after the Armistice he was given a period of leave. After returning to his unit John remained with them until the 7^th May 1919 when he embarked for England. On the 19^th June 1919 he boarded the transport ship Windhuk and set sail for home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 7^th August 1919.

John Caird was discharged from the AIF on the 19^th November 1919.