Cumming, John Borland
959 Sergeant John Borland Cumming - 44th Battalion AIF
John Borland Cumming was born in Fitzroy Victoria in 1891 to William and Jane Cumming. He had two siblings, Elizabeth (1895) and Vera (1900). John moved to Western Australia in the 1900's and took up residence in Fremantle.
Prior to the Great War John was working as a Customs Clerk in Fremantle.
In 1915 he married Muriel Hackford in Cottesloe and they then took up residence in Ocean Road Cottesloe.
On the 3rd November 1915 John enlisted into the AIF. He was found to be fit for enlistment and the medical officer recorded his physical attributes as;
Height - 6 feet 2 & 1/4 inches tall;
Weight - 155lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-38 inches;
Complexion - Fresh,
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Light Brown.
After his successful enlistment John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He was sent to No.55 Depot for training but was only there for one day as he was transferred to the Signal School. From the 10th November 1915 to the 1st March 1916 John trained on the latest signal technologies that an infantry battalion would be using.
John must have done well, as on completing the course he was appointed to the rank of Sergeant and was the senior Non Commissioned Officer of the 44th Battalion Signal section.
The next three months were taken up with training at Blackboy Hill Camp and Osborne Rifle Range. The orders for embarkation finally came through and on the 6th June 1916 the 44th Battalion boarded that HMAT Suevic in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, disembarking in Plymouth on the 21st July 1916. The men were then sent to the 3rd Australian Division training grounds on the Salisbury Plains. A rigorous training then commenced for John and the 44th Battalion Signal section from August to November 1916.
After arriving in England John was sent to the Chelsea School of Instruction. He remained on staff here from the 27th July to 30th September 1916.
John then returned to the 44th Battalion and on the 25th November 1916 they proceeded to Southampton where they boarded a transport ship for France.
The 44th Battalion was sent to the Armentieres sector of the Western Front to become accustomed to trench life on a quieter section of the front. They spent Christmas and New Year here in the snow of Armentieres.
In April 1917 the 44th Battalion moved into southern Belgium at Ploegsteert and would spent the next two months here in preparation for the Battle of Messines.
The Battle of Messines began on June 7th 1917 when mines that had been dug under the German lines were detonated causing huge explosions and causing massive craters in the German lines. The Australian, British and New Zealand infantry then attacked the German lines.
It was a successful attack though casualties were still heavy, with the Germans bombarding the rear areas with gas. Fortunately John came through safely though it would have been a very busy time in ensuring that communications were kept up.
The 44th Battalion remained in the Messines sector until August 1917. They then moved to Ypres where they were to take part in more attacks. However John would not be with them as on the 20th September 1917 he was evacuated sick to hospital. He was taken to No.58 General Hospital at St Omer where he was diagnosed as suffering from trench fever.
It must have been serious at John remained in hospital in St Omer until the 25th October 1917. He was then evacuated to England and admitted to Brook War Hospital in Woolwich.
His health now recovering, on the 8th November 1917 John was sent to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott. He remained here for the next few months while he regained his fitness.
On the 22nd January 1918 John was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell. However John would not be sent back to France yet as his signalling capabilities were in demand and he was taken on strength of the 2nd Training Brigade at Fovant Camp, as well as working at the 9th and 10th Training Brigade Camps.
John also attended a Signal School course at Dunstable and qualified as a 1st class signaller.
On the 5th June 1918 John was put on the permanent staff of the 2nd Training Battalion and he was there from June to October 1918. On the 10th October 1918 he was at the Signal School at Dunstable and remained at the Training Camps for the remainder of the war.
On the 25th January 1919 John boarded the transport ship Ceramic and set sail for home, disembarking in Melbourne on the 23rd March 1919.
John was discharged from the AIF on the 30th April 1919.
On his return from the war John resumed his career with the Customs Department and the family took up residence in Broome Street Cottesloe.
Ronald was born in 1920, Gwenyth in 1922 and David in 1928.
By 1930 the family was living at Reserve Street in Claremont
In 1934 the family took a trip to Europe and then returned to live in Claremont.
In the early 1940's John and the family moved to Victoria around 1942 and took up residence in Kooyong.
John died in Kew Victoria on the 13th November 1976 and was buried in Springvale Cemetery.