Callaghan, John Joseph

5868 Private John Joseph Callaghan - 27th Battalion AIF

John Joseph Callaghan was born in Geraldton WA in 1875.

John returned to Fremantle in the late 1880's and completed his education in Fremantle. After leaving school John took up a carpentry/cabinet making apprenticeship. This took place in Fremantle for three years after which time John had qualified to become a carpenter. From 1910 to 1912 John was living in Stevens Street.

In 1912 in Fremantle John married Sarah Peacock and they would live on the corner of High and Ord Street in Fremantle. They later moved to 32 Howard Street Fremantle.

On the 31st March 1916 John enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in Fremantle. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

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

Weight - 144lbs;

Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Dark Brown.

Upon his successful enlistment John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.66 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry training in this camp and on the 20th June 1916 was transferred into the 3rd Reinforcements to the 44th Battalion.

He spent the next four months training with this group in WA, but on the 16th October 1916 was transferred across to the 16th Reinforcements to the 27th Battalion AIF. Though the 27th Battalion was nominally a South Australian unit they did take reinforcements from other states.

On the 30th October 1916 John left Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship HMAT Port Melbourne. The ship set sail for England, reaching Devonport Harbour on the 28th December 1916.

After being disembarked the men were sent to the 7th Training battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains. On the 27th January 1917 John was sent to Fargo Military Hospital ill. After a week he was transferred to Sutton Veny Hospital.

John was diagnosed to be suffering from severe rheumatism and after a few more weeks in hospital the medical authorities decided that John should be invalided to Australia.

On the 4th May 1917 John was sent to Devonport Harbour where he boarded the transport ship HMAT Runic. He arrived back in Fremantle on the 26th June 1917.

John was discharged from the AIF on the 17th July 1917. As the rheumatism was a pre existing condition before his military service, his claim for a war pension was rejected.

After his return John and Sarah moved to Mount Hardy near York in WA.