Forwood, Joseph
3522 Private Joseph Forwood - 51st Battalion AIF
Joseph Forwood was born on the 21st May 1894 in Surrey Hills NSW to George and Ellen Forwood.
The family came to WA in the 1900's and took up residence in Sewell Street East Fremantle. Joe was working as a shop assistant in the Fremantle area.
Joseph was married on the 24th June 1915 to Edith May Gamble and they continued to reside at "Cornella" in Sewell Street East Fremantle.
On the 28th September 1915 Joseph enlisted in the AIF and was accepted as fit for service. The medical examiner recorded his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/2 inches;
Weight - 116lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-35 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, Joe was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially assigned to the depot training companies. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this depot camp. On the 1st November 1915 he was sent to the 8th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion AIF.
He trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 17th January 1916 Joe and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Borda. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there in February 1916.
On arrival in Egypt Joe was sent to the 7th Training Battalion and on the 3rd March 1916 was transferred to the 51st Battalion. Joe trained with this new Battalion in Egypt for the next three months. On the 5th June 1916 the 51st Battalion left Egypt aboard the transport ship Ivernia and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 12th June 1916.
After arriving in France, the men were sent north to the Armentieres region. They would have their first experience on the Western Front around Bois Grenier and Estaires. They were here through to mid-July 1916 and were then transferred to the Somme battlefield.
The 51st Battalion, as part of the 4th Australian Division, were sent to the battlefield of Pozieres and Mouquet Farm on the 12th August. On the 14th August they took part in an attack on the Germans trenches near Mouquet farm. Joe received a bullet through the shoulder during the assault. After being patched up by the Field Ambulance, he was sent to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Etaples. He spent a few weeks here receiving treatment and then on the 1st September 1916 was sent to England.
Joe was sent to the 2nd Western General Hospital in Manchester and would spent the next two months here having operations and then recovering. On the 9th November 1916 he was sent to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield. Joe spent another two weeks here and was then transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. The medical authorities had made the decision that Joe be returned to Australia.
He spent a few months at Weymouth but on the 13th February 1917 boarded the hospital transport ship Benalla at Plymouth and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 10th April 1917.
Joe was discharged from the AIF on the 24th August 1917. He was then given a military pension of 45/- per fortnight.
After his return home from the war the family lived at Hay Street Perth before moving to Burt Street in Cottesloe. Joe had resumed work as a shop assistant.
They would have the following children, Bartholomew in 1919, Sydney 1921, Wilfred 1923, Douglas 1925 and Estelle.
In 1924 the family moved to NSW and took up residence in Auburn. Joe soon found employment as a bread carter and the family remained in Auburn through to the 1940's.
Joseph offered his services again during World War Two. He enlisted successfully and was given the service number N458552. He was assigned to the 24th battalion Volunteer Defence Corps. He served from 1942 to 1945 and was then discharged.
Joseph died on the 21st February 1946 in Auburn NSW.