Johnson, Victor Ives

2686 Private Victor Ives Johnson - 51st Battalion AIF

Victor Ives Johnson was born on the 4th June 1894 in Sydney New South Wales to Alexander and Lizzie Johnson. He had four siblings, Alexander (1887), Ralph (1888), Ella (1891) and Ethel (1899).

The family moved to Western Australia in the 1900's and took up residence at 55 Duke Street East Fremantle.

Prior to the Great War Victor was employed as a timber worker/sleeper cutter.

On the 18th August 1915 Victor enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording Victor's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 10 inches tall;

Weight - 10 stone 8;

Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Black.

Upon his successful enlistment Victor was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.24 Infantry Depot. He was then taken through the basics of infantry training.

On the 16th October 1915 Victor was assigned to the 6th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion. He trained with this group in WA for the next few weeks while they waited for their embarkation orders to arrive. These finally came through and on the 2nd November 1915 Victor and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Ulysses in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt.

Upon arrival in Egypt three weeks later, the men were disembarked and sent into the 7th Training Battalion. They would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli but the decision had been made to evacuate the forces from that battlefield.

Victor and his group therefore remained in Egypt. In early January 1916 the 28th Battalion returned to Egypt from Gallipoli however due to a large number of reinforcements the 28th Battalion was soon at full strength and most of Victor and his reinforcement group remained with the training Battalion.

However a decision had been made to double the AIF in size and a new battalion was formed called the 51st Battalion. This was formed by splitting the 11th Battalion in half and adding new reinforcements including Victor and most of his 6th reinforcements group.

From March to the end of May 1916 the 51st Battalion trained in the Egyptian desert. On the 5th June 1916 the 51st Battalion left Egypt and travelled to France, reaching Marseilles on the 12th June 1916.

After reaching France the 51st Battalion were sent north to the region around Armentieres. They went into the line and had their first taste of trench life on the Western Front. On the 6th July 1916 Victor was wounded by shrapnel while he was in the trenches.

He was evacuated to hospital but fortunately the wound was slight and he was back with the 51st Battalion on the 25th July 1916.

He joined them in time for the Battalion's actions at Mouquet Farm on the Somme. In August 1916 that took part in their first actual attack on the German trenches at Mouquet Farm. Though some sections of the Battalion succeeded in capturing part of the German line they weren't supported and had to withdraw.

A fortnight later they had another attempt to capture Mouquet Farm. On the 3rd September 1916 most of the Battalion made it into the German positions but were not supported on their flanks which allowed the Germans to surround them.

The 51st Battalion fought hard but with little ammunition left and more men being killed the survivors were forced to surrender. Victor was among those taken prisoner.

Victor then spent the remainder of the war in various prisoner of war and work camps in Germany.

Victor was repatriated to England once the Germans had signed the Armistice in November 1918. Once in England Victor was sent to an AIF camp but no doubt due to being kept prisoner for more than two years, Victor wasn't ready to remain in camp and had several bouts of going absent without leave.

On the 19th April 1919 Victor boarded the transport ship HMAT Marathon and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 30th May 1919.

Victor was discharged from the AIF on the 18th October 1919.

He then returned home to resume his civilian life.

By 1925 Victor was living at 29 Thomas Street South Fremantle and was working as a sleeper cutter.

 In 1934 he married Mary Anderson in Perth. (picture below)

In 1935 he was living at 12 Glebe Street North Perth and was still working as a sleeper cutter. In 1939 he then moved to 114 Forrest Street North Perth.

On the 8th January 1942 Victor enlisted for service in the Second World War. He was assigned to the 5th Garrison Battalion and spent mush of his service in the Perth area. In 1943 he was transferred to No.8 Prisoner of War guard company at Marrinup. He remained assigned to the POW Guard Company till the end of the war.

Victor was discharged from the Army on the 29th November 1946.

After the war they moved in 1949 to Cook Street in Nedlands but by 1954 were living in Napier Street Morley. In the 1960's Victor moved to Harrison St Nollamara

Victor Ives Johnson died aged 82 on the 4th November 1976. He was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery plot Weslayan GA 0065.