Jarvis, Daniel

4830 Private Daniel Jarvis - 51st Battalion AIF

Daniel Jarvis was born in Horsham Victoria in 1879 to George and Mary Jarvis. While he was still young the family moved to Western Australia and took up residence in East Fremantle. 

In 1905 in Murchison Dan married Jemima Dymock and prior to the Great War they moved back to East Fremantle, residing at George Street East Fremantle. A son called Ernest was born in 1906 and was followed in 1908 by Norman.

Prior to the Great War Dan was working as a labourer in the Fremantle region.

On the 29th November 1915 Dan (pictured on left of photo) enlisted in the AIF at Perth. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 6 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 142lbs;

Chest Measurement - 35-40 inches; 

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Dark Brown.

After his successful enlistment Dan was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He was assigned to the 15th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion. This group departed from Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship Ulysses on the 1st April 1916.

After arriving in Egypt on the 25th April 1916, the men were disembarked and marched into the reinforcement training unit. The 11th Battalion had already left Egypt for France so Dan and others found themselves heading for other units.

With the training Battalion he left Egypt on the 7th June 1916 and headed for Egypt, reaching Marseilles on the 14th June 1916.

Dan was then sent north to Etaples and he remained here for the next few weeks. On the 23rd July 1916 Dan was taken on strength of the 51st Battalion. He served with the 51st Battalion through the actions of Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in August and September 1916 and came through unscathed.

In November 1916 Dan was attached for duty with the 27th Company Australian Army Service Corps. Dan remained with the Australian Army Service Corps for the rest of the war. On the 31st January 1918 he was evacuated sick to hospital though he returned to his unit a few days later.

On the 30th July 1918 he was granted a two week furlough in England, returning to his unit on the 16th August 1918.

He was with the 27th Company AASC when the Armistice was announced and he was soon on his way to England. He had a few more months in England and then boarded the transport ship Commonwealth which brought him back to Australia, disembarking at Fremantle on the 4th June 1919.

Daniel died on the 13th February 1965 and is buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Methodist Mon B 0228.