| Regimental number | 4614 |
| Place of birth | Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria |
| True Name | SPENCE, John Malcolm |
| School | Bunyip State School No.2229, Victoria |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Occupation | Postal employee |
| Address | Bunyip, Victoria |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 22 |
| Height | 5' 9" |
| Weight | 170 lbs |
| Next of kin | Sister, Mrs H Walker, Bunyip, Victoria |
| Previous military service | Nil |
| Enlistment date | |
| Place of enlistment | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 14th Battalion, 14th Reinforcement |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/31/4 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A70 Ballarat on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Corporal |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 30th Battalion |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Place of death or wounding | Fleurbaix, France (Battle of Fromelles) |
| Age at death | 23 |
| Age at death from cemetery records | 23 |
| Place of burial | Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery (Plot I, Row B, Grave No 2), France |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 117 |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Served as SPENCE, Malcolm, true name John Malcolm SPENCE. Parents: James and Zellah SPENCE. Native of Footscray, Victoria |
| Family/military connections | Malcom Spence was one of four brothers who joined the AIF and went abroad. |
| Other details |
War service: Western Front Embarked Melbourne, 18 February 1916; disembarked Ehypt, 22 March 1916. Transferred to 30th Bn, Ferry Post, 20 April 1916, and reverted to rank of Private. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Reported missing, 20 July 1916. Note on Form B103: 'Identity Disc received from Germany. No particulars were afforded except that Soldier was deceased. May now be reported "KILLED IN ACTION" 20/7/16.' German report, 2 August 1916: 'austr. Sold. Spence, M. vom 30. Battn ... Nr. 4616. (sic) am 19.7 in Gegend Fromelles gefallen.' Note on Red Cross File No 2590312: 'Identity disc received from Germany and despatched to N/K. 30.6.17.' 'The above name appeared on German death list dated 4-11-16.' Statement, 4428 Pte T.A. ALLINSON, C Company, 30th Bn, 19 January 1917: 'The last seen of him was in the German front line, after he had assisted a badly wounded comrade over to our lines.' Second statement, 2379 Pte B.J. LAMERTON, 30th Bn (patient St John's Hospital, Etaples), 12 December 1916: 'He was struck by shell on Nomans (sic) Land. Pte. May, 30, C, IX, knows all about it. He told me.' Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 2), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France. |
| Sources | NAA: B2455, SPENCE Malcolm
Red Cross File No 2590312 |