John Stitchell HAYES9th Platoon, 7th Batalion, Australian Infantry Force. Somme, Flanders, France. Record National Archives of Australia: B2455,
HAYES J S 6025 Regimental number: 6025 Religion: Methodist Occupation: Farmer Address: PO Tooborac, Victoria Marital status: Single Age at embarkation: 20 years Next of kin: Father, Mr E Hayes, Tooborac, Victoria Enlistment date: 5 April 1916 Rank on enlistment: Private Unit name: 7th Battalion, 19th Reinforcement AWM Embarkation Roll number: 23/24/4 Embarkation details: Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A32 Themistocles on 28 July 1916 Rank from Nominal Roll: Private Unit from Nominal Roll: 7th Battalion Fate: Returned to Australia 12 June 1919 http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=131897 |
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Cudgewa
13.6.22 Dear Mr Babbage, I understand that you want some details of my war history and experiences, so I will endeavour to give you some of the facts. Enlisting in 1916, I went into camp at Castleamine on the 18th April and sailed from Port Melbourne on the 7th July on the Themistocles as one of the 18th Reinforcement of the 7th Battalion which batch I joined on the 19th April while it was occupying trenches near Pionville. We were occupying front line trenches before .... on the 3rd May when the Bullecourt Battle commenced and later we were moved around that section and place in reserve. The winter was spent strenuously for the Pacchendale battle which commenced on the 20th September in the battle of Menin Road. The 7th on that occasion being the third line of attaching troops and had to take and occupy a position a mile from the ‘hoping off’ trench. On the night of the 21st I got a shrapnel wound in the shoulder and was incapacitated during the rest of the Passendale struggle. I returned to the battalion on the 1st of January 1918 and remained with it during the big German offencive which commenced on the 21st March and when the tide turned I took part in the storming of Liton’s Ridge on 9th August and the St Martin’s Wood stunt in which a large number of our men were gassed. On Armistice Day we were near the Château and later went to Château Belgium where we spent several pleasant months awaiting our turn on the quotas for England en route to Australia. I returned on the Port Darwin leaving Plymouth on May 1919 and landed in Pt Melbourne 7th July. My regimental demarkation - 6025 Pte JS Hayes 7th Battalion Hoping this will meet your requirements, I am Sincerely yours, J S Hayes |