King, John
2694 Private John King - 48th Battalion AIF
John was born on the 11th February 1898 in Fremantle WA to John and Emily King. He was schooled in Fremantle and the family then moved to West Perth. During this time he was serving in the school cadet scheme and after leaving school he took up work as a box maker.
On the 31st May 1916 in Fremantle John enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 4 inches tall;
Weight - 105lbs;
Chest Measurement - 28-33 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, John was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the depot training unit. He spent a week undergoing basic infantry training and was then assigned to the 22nd Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. John trained with this group in WA until the 5th September 1916. He was then transferred to the 6th Reinforcements to the 48th Battalion AIF.
He had eight more weeks of training with this group before his departure orders arrived. On the 30th October 1916 John boarded the transport ship Port Melbourne in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, reaching Devonport on the 28th December 1916.
After being disembarked, John and his group were sent to the 12th Training Battalion at Codford Camp on the Salisbury Plains. John would have three and a half months worth of training here and on the 10th April 1917 was sent across to France. He had a few days at the 4th Australian Division Base Depot Camp and was then taken on strength of the 48th Battalion on the 15th April 1917.
The 48th Battalion had just come through the Bullecourt action and were very low on numbers and reinforcements such as John were greatly needed.
In June 1917 the 48th Battalion were moved to Belgium where they would take part in the Messines offensive. They saw much action at Messines and were in this sector from June to August 1917. John came through this time safely.
In September 1917, the 48th Battalion were moved to Ypres where they would take part in the current offensive, seeing action around Polygon Wood, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele. On the 12th October 1917 the 48th Battalion attempted to advance towards the German positions at Passchendaele but were knocked back due to the heavy German fire. John was wounded when he was shot in the wrist. After initial medical treatment he was evacuated to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers. He would only spend a few days here and was then shipped to England.
On arrival in England John was admitted to Belmont Road Auxiliary Hospital in Liverpool. He remained a patient here through to the 21st December 1917. He was now well enough to be given a two week furlough. On the 4th January 1918 he then reported into No.1 Command Depoy Camp at Sutton Veny. Alfred would spent the next five months in England in various training camps while he regained his full fitness.
On the 19th June 1918 he returned to France and rejoined the 48th Battalion on the 28th June 1918.
The 48th Battalion had been in the vicinity of Villers-Bretonneux from May 1918. They fought an action at Monument Wood on the 3rd may 1918 and would remain in this sector for the next few months and were in support positions when Hamel village was successfully captured on July 4th 1918.
John then participated in the 8th August 1918 advance from the Villers Bretonneux front which broke through the Germans lines. He was in action with his unit from August 8th to September 18th 1918. He came through all this time unscathed.
The September 18th action at Le Verguier was the 48th Battalion's last action in the war. They were then pulled out of the line for a rest period and the Armistice was announced before they could return to the front. After the Armistice was announced the 48th Battalion went to what had been German occupied parts of France and Belgium.
John remained with his unit through to April 1919. On the 29th April he returned to England and was sent to No.4 Group Camp at Hurdcott. He would remain here for the next two months, waiting to be informed of being assigned a berth on a ship back to Australia. On the 21st June 1919 John boarded the transport ship Kongin Louise and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 3rd August 1919. John was then discharged from the AIF on the 10th September 1919.
John was married in 1924 to Veronica Eileen O'Connor and a daughter Patricia was born in 1927.
John died on the 20th August 1955 in Mt Hawthorn aged 55 and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic NA 0087.