Horwood, John
Lieutenant John Horwood - 2nd Division Signal Company
John Mishel Kwansy Horwood was born in July 1891 in Keighley, Yorkshire England to John and Rosetta Horwood. He had two siblings, Roslaind 1894 and Christi 1896.
The 1901 census has him living in Eccleshill Yorkshire England; and the 1911 census he is listed as a solicitor/clerk in Huddersfield Yorkshire.
He was married in England pre the Great War to Mary Glover. While his wife remained in England, John came out to Australia in 1913 to serve in the Australian Permanent Forces, in particular the Garrison Artillery. John arrived in Fremantle in November 1913 and took up employment at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks as a Gunner.
The Gunners of the permanent artillery manned the forts at Arthur Head and Fort Forrest Fremantle. They would live in the Artillery Barracks or military quarters nearby.
When war was declared in August 1914 the Gunners were not allowed to enlist due to the threat of the German Navy, however when this threat passed, and with the need of experienced artillerymen on the Western Front, the men of the Permanent Australian Artillery were able to sign up.
The men at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks, including John, were signed up on the 1st June 1915. He still had to pass a physical test and the medical examiner recorded John's physical attributes as;\
Height - 5 feet 10 inches tall;
Weight - 161lbs;
Chest measurement - 36-38 inches;
Complexion - Ruddy;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - fair.
The Gunners at Fremantle were then sent to Victoria to join up with the other permanent artillerymen from around Australia and to complete their training before embarking.
On the 17th July 1915 John and the Gunners of the newly formed 36th Heavy Artillery Group left Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship Orsova and sailed for England. After arriving in England in September 1915, the men were disembarked and sent to the Artillery training Depot. They were initially stationed at Lydd, then Taunton in Somerset where they spent the Christmas of 1915.
The men were then organised into the 54th and 55th Batteries of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group.
On February 27th 1916 John, as part of the 55th Battery, arrived at Boulogne France. They spent three days here and on March 7th left with their guns and travelled to Mont St Eloy near Arras where they went into billets. On March 16th 1916 the men of the 55th Battery of the Siege Brigade suffered their first casualties when the Germans shelled their billets at Mont St Eloy. Three of the Gunners were killed and fourteen were wounded. John came through this unscathed.
He then served with his unit through the battle of the Somme from July to September 1916. John was soon promoted to Bombardier and in December 1916 to Corporal.
In January 1917 John was sent to the 5th Army Signal School and was here for the first four months of 1917. He then returned to the 36th Heavy Artillery Group and took up signalling duties for the unit.
In July 1917 he was promoted to Temporary Sergeant and in August was granted two weeks leave to England during which time he would be able to see his wife in Kent.
He returned to France on the 27th August 1917 and moved with his unit to Belgium as they began to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. In October 1917 he moved from signal duties with his Battery to the HQ signals section of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group. He was then sent to England to take part in the signal officers training school.
He entered the signals course at Bedford England as an officer cadet. The course went for five months, during which time John was given periods of leave to see his family.
On the 22nd April 1918 he was promoted to Second Lieutenant and would be posted to the Engineers or Singal Service. On arriving in France he was sent to the Australian Base Depot at Rouelles. He would spend a few days here before being sent to his posting.
John was initially assigned as a Signals Officer to the Australian Corps Signal Section on the 19th May 1918. The Australian Corps HQ was then located at Bertangles France.
He was with the Australian Corps HQ for three weeks and was then transferred to the 2nd Australian Division Signal Company. The 2nd Australian Division were then north of the Somme near Morlancourt, but in July 1918 moved to the Villers Bretonneux sector.
John was kept busy in the lead in to August 8th 1918 which is when the large advance against the Germans took place. The attack was successful and the communications between the advancing infantry units and the Divisional HQ was very important.
On the 18th August 1918 he was sent to the 4th Army Wireless School for a period of instruction, before returning to his unit on the 11th September 1918. The 2nd Division had just helped capture Mont St Quentin and Peronne and were now pushing onto the Hindenburg Line defences. The 2nd Division were the last of the Australian infantry in the front line, being pulled out on the 5th October 1918. John would have been kept very busy with the signals communication during this time.
When the 2nd Division were pulled out of the line, the work did not stop for John as the 2nd Division artillery would be in action till late October 1918 and communications with the units and HQ were still very important.
When the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918 John and his unit were on a rest period out of the front line.
A few weeks later on the 26th November 1918. John reported ill and was sent to the 39th General Hospital. He had been diagnosed with venereal disease and would have the next few month in hospital. On the 15th January 1919 John was transferred to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford.
On the 10th February 1919 John was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth where he would be working in their Signals section. On the 1st May 1919 he was transferred to the AIF Depots in the UK Headquarters. He undertook more signal work and was also appointed Mess Secretary.
On the 21st July 1919 John was granted a long period of leave while transport for him, his wife and newly born son John could be organised. On the 9th January 1920 at Liverpool, John and his family boarded the transport ship Megantic and set sail for Australia. They disembarked in Melbourne on the 13th February 1920. They then made their way back to Western Australia and John was discharged from the AIF on the 23rd April 1920.
John then resumed his role in the Permanent Artillery at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks. His family would now live in the family quarters at the Barracks. They would have another son called William born into the family.
John served at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks through the 1920's and was then transferred to New South Wales in a similar role and was based at the military quarters La Perouse. He was now part of the Australian Instructional Corps and was attached to the First Cavalry Division Signals.
John died Moore Park NSW on the 3rd February 1938 while on duty. According to the newspaper report in the West Australian 3rd February 1938;