Lyons, John Theophilus

774 Private John Theophilus Lyons - 44th Battalion AIF

John Theophilus Lyons was born in Sydney NSW on the 25th June 1880 to Frederick and Jane Lyons. He was one of nine siblings; Jane (1864), Frederick (1866), William (1869), Lydia (1871), Vivian (1873), Florence (1876), Victor (1882) and Jesse (1885).

John moved to Western Australia with his family circa 1903 and took up residence in Moran Street Beaconsfield before moving to Sea View Street Beaconsfield.

John was a House Painter by trade and also was heavily involved with the WA Yacht club.

From 1912-1913 John was employed by the WA Government Railways as a Painter.

On the 11th January 1916 John enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner recording John's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 4 & 1/2 inches;

Weight - 135lbs;

Chest Measurement - 35-37 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Dark Brown.

After his successful enlistment John was sent to Claremont Camp and was assigned to the 44th Battalion.

The 44th Battalion departed from Fremantle Harbour on the 6th June 1916 aboard the HMAT Suevic. After a long sea voyage the ship arrived at Plymouth on the 21st July 1916.

The next few months were spent training on the Salisbury Plains and in November 1916 the 44th Battalion were sent to France. Initially they were sent to the area around Armentieres but by March 1917 the 44th Battalion had moved to Ploegsteert in southern Belgium.

They would take part in the Messines action which began on the 7th June 1917. John was wounded on the 8th June 1917 when he was hit by shrapnel in the forearm. He was evacuated to the 9th Field Ambulance for treatment and then to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station. John was then admitted to the 9th General Hospital at Rouen. He spent three days there and was then evacuated to England where he was admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital.

John was released from hospital on the 6th July 1917 and was then given a two week furlough. On the 20th July 1917 John reported in to No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. He then had the next several months in England. Though his wound had healed John was not yet at a fitness level to be sent back to France.

On the 26th November 1917 John was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell. It wasn't until the 21st March 1918 that John returned to France and he was taken on strength of the 44th Battalion on the 24th March 1918.

John rejoined the 44th Battalion just in time for their move south to help stop the German breakthrough on the Somme. The 44th Battalion came into contact with the Germans on the Somme River near Sailly-le-Sec and Sailly Laurette and helped stop their advance.

The 44th Battalion remained in the Villers-Bretonneux sector for the next few months and also took part in the capture of Hamel village on July 4th 1918. John came through the Hamel attack unscathed.

On August 8th 1918 the 44th Battalion took part in the advance from Villers-Bretonneux and successfully took their objectives. For the next few weeks the Germans were continually pushed back and the 44th Battalion made their way to Clery and then Peronne.

John remained with the 44th Battalion until their final battle. The 44th Battalion were to attack the Germans at the Hindenburg Line in the vicinity of Bony however the day previous to the attack John came down with a severe case of influenza/trench fever and so was evacuated to hospital. He was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Rouen. He had a few days here and was then sent to England where he was admitted to the 2nd Western General Hospital in Manchester. John remained there till the 25th October 1918 when he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.

On the 28th October 1918 John was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth to await being assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 19th January 1919 John boarded the transport ship Margha and set sail for home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 23rd February 1919. He was then sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle.

John was discharged from the AIF on the 10th April 1919.

On his returned home John was employed by the WA Government Railways as a signwriter/painter but left in 1922. He had also been working as a business owner with William Evans as they had a signwriting/painting business in Fremantle.

In 1922 in Beaconsfield John married Janet Wallace Millar at St Pauls Church Beaconsfield. They would have several children, Victor (1923), Keith (1925), Ailsa (1927), Netta (1929) and Marjorie (1931), Ian (1934), Robin (1936) and Rosemary (1939)

John was a member of the Northeast Fremantle sub-branch of the RSL.

The family was living at Sea View Street South Fremantle before moving to 12 View Terrace Bicton (now 97 View Terrace).

John died of a heart attack in December 1938 aged 58. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican MON A3 0412.

John had been a contributor to the Western Mail during the 1930's in the columns run by Cyril Longmore (Non Com). John wrote under his pen name 774 x 44. One of which is below;

The Origin of "Digger."

Dear "Non-Com."-Have just been reading the page, and in your footnote in parentheses, under "Tivvy's Choc's" you say you, have proved, beyond doubt, that the term "digger" originated with the 44th on Salisbury Plain in 1917. You're wrong about the year. Some years ago a controversy was running as to the origin of the term "digger." I submitted my view thusly;- "We, "the 11th Brigade, were on a five days' stunt trench digging at a place called the Bustard. On the day we left to return to Larkhill, we were drawn up in a hollow square, and Brig.-Gen. Cannan addressed the brigade, and commended them on their work, but gave the palm to the 44th as the best diggers in the brigade. That, I honestly believe, was how the term "digger" originated in the A.I.F. I had never heard it before as applied to soldiers, but it was applied to us as we marched off that parade, and the term became general throughout the brigade and the A.I.F. We all know, of course, that the term was applied to miners years before the war was thought of, but it was never universally used until after the incident mentioned. The reason for writing this, however, is to draw your attention to the fact that it happened in September, 1916. As you know, the "Eggs-a-Cook" were barracked considerably because they came late in the game, but don't make it worse by making your readers believe that we were 12 months later than we really were! Although we made a late start we were well and truly in the picnic.

Two years was enough for any except a Dan Edwards or a Wilfred St. Mande. If my memory does not fail me (and

I don't often forget things that I remember!) it was in November, 1916. We made the crossing to France.-"774 x 44," Fremantle.

P.S.-As you probably remember during the aforementioned Bustard stunt, it. rained practically for four days out of five, but on the fifth day it came out bright and sunny, although cool. I remember this well because, like "A .H.." of Gnowangerup, I divested myself of all clothing except my flannel, laid out my ground sheet, rolled myself in blankets and died-for four whole hours? Whereas "A.H." was disturbed by "heads," I was

only disturbed by the bugler blowing "Cookhouse."-"774 x 44."

[You're right. Jack. It was my mistake. I can't even blame it on to the

printer. The Bustard stunt was about September, 1916. In September, 1917, we were war-weary veterans going in for mud-bath at Passchendaele. -''Non Com."]