The AIF Project

John WALKER

Regimental number1186
Place of birthMooroopna, Goulburn Valley, Victoria
SchoolState School, Victoria
ReligionRoman Catholic
OccupationTimekeeper
AddressState Mill, Dwellingup, Western Australia
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation29
Height5' 6"
Weight142 lbs
Next of kinMother, Mrs A Walker, 149 Bulwer Street, Perth, Western Australia
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date3 June 1915
Place of enlistmentBlackboy Hill, Western Australia
Rank on enlistmentSergeant
Unit name32nd Battalion, D Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/49/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A2 Geelong on 18 November 1915
The 32nd Bn (Headquarters, Signallers, A, B, C, and D Companies) embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on two ships, HMAT A2 'Geelong', on 18 November 1915, and HMAT A13 'Katuna', on 24 November 1915. The Embarkation Roll does not distinguish between these ships, and it is therefore not possible from the Embarkation Roll to ascertain on which ship an individual embarked.
Rank from Nominal RollSergeant
Unit from Nominal Roll32nd Battalion
FateKilled in Action 20 July 1916
Place of death or woundingFleurbaix, France
Age at death31
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsV.C. Corner (Panel No 4), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
121
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: William and Anne WALKER
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Disembarked Suez, ex-HMAT 'Geelong', 18 December 1915.

Admitted to No 2 Australian General Hospital, Ghezirah, 18 January 1916 (dental deficiency); transferred to No 2 Auxiliary Hospital, Ghezirah, 20 January 1916; discharged to duty, 20 January 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 17 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Posted missing, 20 July 1916.

Now, 15 July 1916, reported as 'Wounded and Missing, 20 July 1916' on statement of Sergeant Scott.

Posted as missing for 3 months and struck off strength, 20 July 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 12 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 20 July 1916'.

Note, Red Cross File No 2830712: 'No trace Germany[.] Cert. by Capt. Mills. 10.10.19.'

Statement, 301 Corporal H.J. STONE, 32nd Bn (patient, No 2 General Hospital (Casino), France), 20 February 1917: 'He was wounded and had a leg blown off and I think he died in No Man's Land. We had to retire from the ground taken and he was left.'

Second statement, 921 Pte F.A. DOWNING, C Company, 32nd Bn (patient, No 11 Stationary Hospital, Rouen), 24 May 1917: 'Informant advanced with his Coy. on the evning of July 19th near Fleurbaix. In the early morning of July 20th, they retired, and during the retirement, he saw Sergt. Walker fall, apparently killed outright by a burst of M.G. fire. Informant was wounded immediately afterwards by M.G. fire. He says he is certain that Sergt. Walker was killed "instantly" from the way he fell and lay.'

Third statement, 1323 Corporal J. MORGAN, 32nd Bn (patient, 1st London General Hospital, Camberwell, England), [?] June 1917: 'I knew Sgt. Walker and in the early morning of July 20/16 we were making an advance and Walker was left behind in the second German trench, he had his legs blown off at Fleurbaix. We got surrounded by Germans.'

Fourth statement, 1187 Sergeant A. SCOTT, 32nd Bn, 17 May 1917: 'The last I saw of him was on the night of the 19th July 1916. He was lying badly wounded near the German third line of trenches. We had orders to retire and he was left there, the enemy very quickly occupying this part of the ground. Many other wounded were lying near Walker and I noticed in the "Times" a few days later the names of some of those wounded and now prisoner of war in Germany ... '

Fifth statement, 1187 Sergeant A. SCOTT, 32nd Bn, 14 June 1917: 'I found him lying severely wounded with one leg off close to the German third line about midnight 19/20th July. he (sic) was unconscious. I pulled him into a shell hole and I had to go on. I heard no more of him.'

Sixth statement, 1202 Sergeant H.J. STRICKLAND, 32nd Bn (patient, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, England), 29 June 1917: 'I saw him with his leg blown off and so badly wounded that I did not expect him to live. It was in No Man's Land at Fleurbiax.'

Seventh statement, 1280 Pte R. HARBORT, 32nd Bn, 7 April 1919: 'We advanced at Fleurbaix on the night of the 19th, Witness being between Corporal Roberts and Sergeant Walker. Walker was hit by a shell when only 2 yards from Witness and he fell without saying a word, presumably killed outright. We failed in our objective and withdrew next morning to the original front line which was held. The Pioneers went out two days later, but Witness does not know if any trace was found of Walker's body.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, WALKER John
Red Cross file 2830712

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