Stagg, John Albert

1158 Bombardier John Albert Stagg - 36th Heavy Artillery Group

John Albert Stagg was born in Orbost Victoria on the 22nd June 1889 to Charles and Annie Stagg. 

The family later moved across to Western Australia where John joined the permanent staff of the Garrison Artillery in 1912.

In 1913 John married Alice Jane Williams in Fremantle and they would go on to have four children, Roy (1913), Harold (1914), Daisy (1916) and Betty (1920).

In the photo above right, from left: Alice Jane (nee Williams); Daisy; Harold; Roy; and John Stagg.

John served at the Artillery Barracks in Fremantle and because he was married the family was allotted a house on Queen Victoria Street. The Stagg family lived in the Barracks in Queen Victoria Street from 1916 until 1936.

Because he was a permanent soldier John was not able to enlist early in the Great War as the forts and artillery had to be manned by experienced Gunners. However in 1915 a large number of the permanent gunners were able to enlist and they formed the 36th Heavy Artillery Group which served in France from early 1916.

John was retained at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks until 1917. On the 16th August 1917 he was permitted to enlist into the Australian Imperial Force. The medical examiner recorded John's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 9 & 1/4 inches tall;

Weight - 174lbs;

Chest Measurement - 37-40 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Brown.

After his successful enlistment John was sent to NSW to South Head at Sydney. He completed his training here while they waited to be allotted to a troopship. On the 2nd February 1918 John embarked from Sydney on the transport ship Wiltshire and set sail for England, reaching Southampton on the 20th April 1918.

After being disembarked John was then sent to the Heavy Artillery Training Depot. He was given the rank of Bombardier and would have just on a month at this training depot as on the 25th May 1918 he left England and arrived in France.

It appears that John was based at the Artillery Depot at Le Havre for the next few months, only being taken on strength of the 2nd Siege Battery on the 11th October 1918.

Though the war ended the following month, John was with the 2nd Siege Battery over the next few months though he also went on different military courses during this time.

John returned to England in May 1919 and waited to be allotted a berth on a troopship home..

On the 28th August 1919 John  boarded the transport ship Kanowna and set sail for home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 15th October 1919.

On his return home to WA, John was taken back on strength of the Garrison Artillery of the Australian Permanant Forces and resumed his role at the Artillery Barracks.

John would serve with the Artillery and the Australian Instructional Corps over the next few years.

John left the Army circa 1936 and then the family moved to 170 Beach Street Fremantle.

On the 10th October 1939 John enlisted into the Australian Army for the Second World War. During the war he served with the Fremantle Coastal Artillery of the 7th Heavy Artillery Brigade, the 10th Garrison Battalion (W243001) and in 1946 was transferred to the 26th Works Company. He was discharged in June 1946.

John Albert Stagg died in Mt Lawley on the 13th May 1968 aged 78. He is buried in Karrakatta Cemetery plot Wesleyan DC 0111.