Craig, John William
643 Sergeant John William James Craig - 11th Battalion
John William James Craig was born in Fremantle on the 15th January 1895 to James and Amelia Craig. He had six siblings, Amelia (1892), Sarah (1893), Bessie (1896), Frederick (1898), Essie (1900) and James (1902).
The family lived at 88 (64) Mandurah Road in South Fremantle.
John was educated locally and after leaving school he took up employment with the WA Postmaster Generals department as a letter carrier. During his early years John was also a Naval Cadet and a member of the Naval Reserve since 1911.
John initially worked in Fremantle then his work took him to the Goldfields and was working in Kalgoorlie.
On the 15th August 1914 John enlisted into the AIF at Kalgoorlie WA. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 &3 /4 inches tall;
Weight - 140lbs;
Chest Measurement - 35 & 1/2 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Light Brown.
After his successful enlistment John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. John was assigned to the 11th Battalion and spent the next few months training at Blackboy Hill Camp.
On the 31st October 1914, John board the HMAT Ascanius in Fremantle Harbour, the ship then moving into Gage Roads and departing on November 2nd 1914.
After reaching Egypt three weeks later, the Battalion disembarked and went into camp at Mena in Egypt. They were here till March 1915, when the 11th Battalion as part of the 3rd Brigade, were moved to Lemnos Island off the Turkish Coast.
John landed at Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915 and it appears that John served there for the entire time that the 11th Battalion were there. He did no get evacuated to wounds or sickness. John was also promoted to Lance Corporal while at Gallipoli.
In December 1915, the Australians evacuated from Gallipoli and returned to Egypt. John was now promoted to Corporal and in March 1916 the battalion went to France.
John was now promoted to Sergeant and served at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm on the Somme in July and August 1916, surviving these actions unscathed.
In October 1916 John was detached for duty to the 3rd Training Battalion in England. John had the next eight months in England being on the staff of the 3rd Training Battalion.
In July 1917 he returned to the unit in France.
In September 1917 the 11th Battalion took part in the Battle of Menin Road near Ypres and also subsequent actions in October 1917 at Zonnebeke and Celtic Wood. The 11th Battalion then held the line near Passchendaele in November 1917 before heading for the Messines front line area in December.
On the 31st December 1917 John was evacuated to hospital with scabies, firstly in France but was then sent to England for further treatment. John had the next several months in England, only rejoining the 11th Battalion near Merris on the 11th July 1918.
In August 1918 the 11th Battalion were moved to the Somme region to take part in the advance from Villers-Bretonneux. On August 10th at Lihons while attacking German positions, a heavy barrage of machine gun fire hit the 11th Battalion and John was hit by bullets in the legs and thighs and his femur was fractured.
He was evacuated to hospital and had several weeks in France before it was safe to move him to England. On the 22nd September 1918 John was moved across the English Channel and then entrained to the 1st Southern General Hospital in Birmingham.
John had a few more months in hospital in England and was then allowed to travel back to Australia. On the 3rd January 1919 John boarded the hospital ship Kanowna to return to WA, disembarking at Fremantle on the 20th February 1919.
After returning home John had further medical treatment at No.8 AGH in South Terrace Fremantle. He was discharged from the AIF on the 8th March 1921.
After the Great War, John moved to 117 King Street East Fremantle (later renumbered 59 King Street). He was there till at least 1923, when he went around the state a bit. In 1925 he was working in the North West in Broome and a few years later he was in the South West of the State.
On the 18th December 1928 John married Dorothy Ellis in Denmark Western Australia. Unfortunately the marriage would not last long as Dorothy died in 1941. In 1946 he re-married to Winifred Gericevich in East Coolgardie.
John died on the 11th May 1960 in Coolgardie.