BACKGROUND

John Lewis Butcher, known as Jack, was born on the 6th April 1887 in Lawrence, son of John & Annabella Butcher. According to NSWBDM he was one of six children, with one sister & five brothers. His brother, Edwin, is buried in Murwillumbah Old Cemetery

ATTESTATION

Jack travelled to Brisbane on the 9^th September 1915 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a single man and gave his occupation as a herd tester. His next of kin was his father, John, of Burringbar

He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia

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CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER

On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”

OATH

He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, John Lewis Butcher, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law

He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia

SO, HELP ME, GOD.” 

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MEDICAL EXAMINATION

This was undertaken at Lismore on the 28^th August 1915. Jack was 28 years and 4 months old when he enlisted. He was 5 feet 3 ½ inches tall (1.61m) and weighed 8 stone 2 ½ lbs (51kgs). He had a fair complexion, brown eyes & brown hair. His eyesight was good. John was Methodist

CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER

The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -

Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.

He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service

CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER

This is completed during the recruits training. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him a private with the 15^th Battalion, ninth reinforcements with service number 4460

TRAINING AT RIFLE RANGE CAMP, ENOGGERA

As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together

Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the recruits had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training could take several months

INNOCULATIONS

All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting.

THE UNIFORM

The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.

SOLDIER’S KIT

Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.

·      Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.

·      Braces: worn with breeches.

·      Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.

·      Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.

·      Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.

·      Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.

·      Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.

·      Jersey

·      Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.

·      Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.

·      Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.

·      Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.

·      Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.

·      Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.

·      Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.

·      Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.

·      They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.

·      No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid five shillings a day.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM BRISBANE TO EGYPT

On the 31^st January 1916, the recruits left Brisbane, sailing upon the HMAT Wandilla.   Alongside his comrades, Jack marched aboard, his boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.

The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On the voyage, due to overcrowding, training was limited to mainly to lectures and a little physical training.

SLEEPING & LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.

Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.

DAILY ROUTINE

Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.

MEALS

Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.

HEALTH & SANITATION

Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.

THE VOYAGE EXPERIENCE

Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. To keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.

The troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection

CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY

The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

SIGHTS AT SEA

On the way to Egypt the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.

SECURITY

By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes.

APPROACHING EGYPT

After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the sandy training grounds of Egypt, preparing for what lay ahead.

EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP

The ship arrived in Alexandria on the 5^th March 1916. The men boarded the troop train taking them to one of the Egyptian training camps. When the train finally rattled into the siding near the camp, the soldiers found themselves staring at an extraordinary sight — the vast Pyramids looming on the horizon, their ancient stones glowing gold in the late afternoon sun. Rows of khaki tents stretched out across the sand, the dust curling in little eddies around the tent pegs.

This camp provided the final preparation for entrainment to Alexandria and the Western Front. The camps screened soldiers arriving in Egypt, checking for any illnesses such as measles which can break out when people are crowded together for long periods.

During an interim period, soldiers typically:

·      Recovered from the voyage: After long sea travel from Australia, troops needed time to rest and regain strength.

·      Underwent medical inspections: To check for illnesses, infections, or conditions like venereal disease that might delay their training.

·      Received equipment and uniforms: Egypt's heat made the heavy wool uniforms uncomfortable. As a result, lighter clothing was often issued or obtained locally. Soldiers frequently wore:

ü Khaki cotton shirts without the tunic

ü Lightweight drill uniforms made from cotton

ü Shorts on some occasions, particularly in camp

ü Pith helmets or sun helmets for fatigue duties and work in the sun, although the slouch hat remained the iconic Australian headgear

·      Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.

·      Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.

They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in a training camp, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons.  Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more.

After many months of continuous preparation in Egypt, the men were judged ready for active service. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. When the battalion finally entered into the war, it did so as a cohesive and well-drilled unit, prepared—so far as training could allow—for the brutal realities of the Western Front.

FRANCE MAY 1916

After completing their training in Egypt, the recruits marched to the embarkation port, where thousands of Australian reinforcements waited to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Before departure, every man underwent a final medical inspection, was issued with ammunition, rations and any remaining equipment, and received instructions on what to do if the transport came under enemy attack.

The crossing to France was usually made in the early hours of darkness aboard a crowded troopship. Although the journey was relatively short, it was considered dangerous, as German submarines and mines posed a constant threat. Every soldier wore a lifebelt throughout the voyage, and troops remained alert in case they had to abandon ship. Fortunately, most crossings were completed safely, escorted by Royal Navy vessels.

On arrival at Marseilles, the men would have stepped onto French soil for the first time. Rather than proceeding directly to the front, they were sent to the Australian Base Depot, where reinforcements were organised, equipped and held until required by their units. Here the men exchanged some of their Ehyptian-issued equipment for stores more suited to service on the Western Front, completed further medical inspections and undertook additional training designed to familiarise reinforcements with the latest trench warfare tactics.

From the Base Depot, the recruits would have travelled by troop train through the French countryside towards the rear areas behind the front line. The trains were often slow, crowded and uncomfortable, but they provided many soldiers with their first glimpse of war-torn France. Villages showed signs of shell damage, roads were busy with military traffic, and columns of troops, horses and artillery moved constantly towards the front.

Before joining their battalion, the recruits would have spent several days at the Australian Reinforcement Camp, where experienced officers and non-commissioned officers instructed newly arrived soldiers in current battlefield conditions. They practised trench routines, the use of gas masks, grenade throwing, wiring, patrolling and the latest infantry tactics. The distant rumble of artillery could often be heard, reminding every reinforcement that the front line was now only a short distance away.

Finally, they were marched forward to their battalion, usually under the cover of darkness. Meeting men who had already endured months or even years of fighting, they quickly learned that his training had prepared them for the realities of the Western Front. The smell of mud, cordite and damp sandbags, the constant thunder of artillery and the ever-present danger from enemy shellfire and snipers marked the beginning of their active service in France.

TAKEN ON STRENGTH 9^TH BATTALION JULY 1916

Jack was taken on strength with the 9th Battalion on the 12^th July 1916. He had scarcely settled into life with his new comrades before the battalion was drawn into one of the bloodiest battles ever fought by the Australian Imperial Force. The Somme offensive was already raging, and the Australian divisions had been ordered to capture the shattered village of Pozières, a position that stood on the strategically important ridge overlooking the surrounding countryside.

THE BATTLE OF POZIERES JULY 1916

During the days leading up to the attack, Jack and the men of the 9th Battalion moved into assembly trenches under constant shellfire. The landscape was one of complete devastation. Trees had been reduced to splintered stumps, villages had disappeared beneath heaps of rubble, and the air was thick with dust, smoke and the smell of explosives. Every movement had to be made at night to avoid enemy observation, while by day the men sheltered in crowded trenches and shell holes, enduring relentless artillery bombardments.

WOUNDED IN ACTION 23^RD JULY 1916 MEDICAL CHAIN

In the early hours of 23 July 1916, the Australians launched their assault on Pozières. Jack advanced with his battalion across open ground swept by machine-gun and rifle fire while German artillery exploded all around them. Although the Australians succeeded in capturing much of the village after fierce hand-to-hand fighting, the victory came at an enormous cost. During the attack Jack was struck by a rifle bullet, receiving a gunshot wound to his left arm and another wound to his chest. Amid the confusion of battle, with stretcher-bearers working tirelessly under continual shellfire, there are no surviving medical records showing exactly who first treated him on 23 or 24 July. It is almost certain, however, that he was initially attended by the battalion's regimental stretcher-bearers and medical officer at the Regimental Aid Post, where his wounds would have been dressed as quickly as possible before arrangements could be made to move him farther from the fighting.

By 25 July Jack had reached the 57th Field Ambulance. Despite its name, a Field Ambulance was not a vehicle but a mobile medical unit established close behind the front line. Here doctors examined his injuries more thoroughly, controlled the bleeding, dressed his wounds and prepared him for evacuation. His condition was obviously serious, and later that same day he was transferred to a Casualty Clearing Station, the first fully equipped surgical hospital behind the battle area. There surgeons could undertake emergency operations and stabilise badly wounded men before they continued their journey to larger hospitals.

Jack's wounds required specialist care, and on 28 July he was admitted to No. 3 Stationary Hospital at Rouen, one of the major base hospitals serving the British Expeditionary Force. His records describe gunshot wounds to his arm and chest, injuries severe enough to require further surgery.

EVACUATED TO ENGLAND 28^TH JULY 1916

As his condition remained critical, medical authorities decided he should be evacuated to England, where larger military hospitals offered the best chance of recovery. That same day he was embarked aboard the hospital ship Western Australia. The vessel had been specially converted to carry wounded soldiers, with hospital wards, operating theatres, trained nursing sisters and medical staff caring for hundreds of casualties as they crossed the English Channel.

Once in England, Jack was admitted to a military hospital where surgeons fought to save his life. His left arm had been so badly damaged that amputation became the only hope of preventing the spread of infection. Although the operation was carried out successfully, his chest wound and the ever-present danger of infection continued to threaten his recovery. In the weeks that followed he endured repeated dressings, constant nursing care and the limited medical treatments available during the First World War. Without antibiotics, even the most skilled surgeons were often powerless against the infections that followed severe battlefield wounds.

DIED OF WOUNDS 20TH AUGUST 1916

Despite every effort of the medical staff, Jack's condition gradually deteriorated. He developed hyperpyrexia, an exceptionally high fever usually associated with severe infection or overwhelming trauma. By the middle of August, it became clear that his body could no longer overcome the effects of his wounds. On 20 August 1916, less than a month after being wounded during the Battle of Pozières, Jack died from the combined effects of his gunshot wounds, the amputation of his left arm and the overwhelming infection that followed.

Jack had been with the 9th Battalion for only eleven days before entering one of the fiercest battles of the Somme. Although his time with the battalion was tragically brief, he shared in the capture of Pozières, a victory won at an appalling cost. Like so many Australian reinforcements arriving on the Western Front in 1916, he scarcely had time to become acquainted with his new mates before facing the full horror of modern warfare. His courage and sacrifice became part of the enduring legacy of the 9th Battalion and of the Australians who fought so valiantly on the Somme.

BURIAL

Jack was buried on 23rd August, 1916 in Hartshill Cemetery, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England Grave site 3rd Class, Grave No. 4920.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service Jack was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the  Bangalow Clunes District Great War Roll of Honour and Burringbar War Memorial

His name is recorded on the Roll of Honour in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial Number 55 among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War

PENSION

His mother, Annabella was granted a pension of 1pound, 12 shillings and six pence per fortnight from the 31st October 1916

MEMORIAL SCROLL & MEMORIAL PLAQUE

His father received his Memorial Scroll on the 25^th November 1921, and his Memorial Plaque on the 8^th February 1922

If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.