Dewar, John
3312 Private John Dewar - 4th Australian Division Ammunition Column
John Dewar was born in Glasgow Scotland on the 3rd May 1882 to Robert and Helen Dewar. He was one of several siblings, with Robert 1874 (died 1875), Margaret 1880, Jane 1884, Robert 1886, Elizabeth 1890 and Louisa 1892. John was educated and had his early years in Glasgow and after leaving school he took up work as a Clerk.
According to the 1901 census John was still living in Glasgow.
His father died in 1907 and in 1911 John and his brother Robert travelled to Australia on the 23rd September 1911, arriving in Fremantle in November 1911.
They took up residence at 111 Forrest Street Fremantle. (later renumbered to 32 Forrest). John was working as a clerk for the company DJ Fowler.
On the 2nd August 1915 John enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, and the medical examiner recorded his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 132lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-26 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Light Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.20 Training Depot. John was taken through the basics of infantry work at this depot camp and he remained here for a several weeks and on the 27th September 1915 was transferred to the 11th Reinforcements to the 11th battalion AIF.
John trained with this group in WA for the next few weeks. Their embarkation orders then came through and on the 2nd November 1915 John and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Ulysses. The ship then set sail for Egypt and after arriving three weeks later, the men were then disembarked and were sent to the reinforcement camp.
The men would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli, but with the evacuation plans of that battlefield underway, John and his group were retained in Egypt. The 11th Battalion returned to Egypt in January 1916.
On the 7th January 1916 John was taken on strength of "A" Company of the 11th battalion. He then trained for them for the next two months. However on the 29th February 1916 he was transferred to the 51st Battalion AIF.
John only spent two weeks with the 51st battalion and was then transferred to the 24th Howitzer Brigade of the 4th Australian Division Artillery. On the 19th April 1916 John was again transferred, this time to the 4th Division Ammunition Column.
He trained with this group in Egypt for the next few months. On the 6th June 1916 they then boarded a transport ship which took them to France, arriving at Marseilles on the 13th June 1916.
After arriving in France the men were entrained north to the Armentieres sector. They would have their first experience of the Western Front in this area. The 4th Division artillery supported the 5th Division assault at Fromelles on the 19th July 1916 and after this action the 4th Division artillery were sent to the Somme battlefield. They then supported the infantry actions at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm through to September 1916.
On the 24th August 1916 John fell ill and was sent to hospital where he was diagnosed with diptheria. He remained in hospital in France for a month and then on the 23rd September 1916 was shipped to England.
John was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital and remained here till the 16th October 1916 when he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.
John was then given a two week furlough and was then sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. On the 4th December 1916 John was then transferred to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Wareham.
On the 13th January 1917 John was transferred to the Artillery Training Camp at Larkhill. He appears to have been put on the staff at this camp as John was based here till May 1918.
He was then promoted Bombardier and was based at Tidworth barracks where he was on the permanent cadre of staff. John worked here through to November 1918 and was there when the Armistice was announced.
On the 11th December 1918 John boarded the transport ship Saxon and set sail back home, reaching Fremantle on the 20th January 1919.
John was discharged from the AIF on the 18th March 1919.
John then returned to 111 forrest street after the war and resumed his role as a clerk for DJ Fowler
His brother Robert died in Fremantle in 1929 and John then went to the country and in 1930 was living in Mukinbudin.
He then returned to the Fremantle region and died aged 64 on the 27th June 1946 in Mosman Park. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Presbyterian MON EE 0432.