BACKGROUND

John Akers was born in Cunnamulla, Qld in c1894, son of Henry Akers & Agnes (Sparrow) Akers.  His brother. Henry also enlisted

ATTESTATION

John travelled to Brisbane on the 20^th November 1916 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 farmer. His next of kin was his mother, Agnes, of Coorabell Creek, but this was changed at some stage to his father, Henry, of Coorabell Creek.

John stated his permanent address in Australia was Mount Burrell, via Uki. 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 Akers, 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

John was 32 years 4 months old. He was 6ft tall (1.82m) & weighed 170lbs (77kgs). He had a medium complexion. Blue eyes and fair hair. He was dentally fit. John was Rolman Catholic

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. John was in Enoggera training camp when this was completed o 14^th December 1916. 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 as a private with the 8^th reinforcements 52^nd Battalion with service number 3105

ENOGGERA TRAINING CAMP

As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. By late 1916 the Australian Army was under enormous pressure to produce reinforcements for the expanding AIF on the Western Front. The training was therefore intensive rather than lengthy. The recruits would have arrived at Enoggera as civilians from all walks of life—farm labourers, clerks, labourers, tradesmen and station hands—and the Army's first task was to turn them into soldiers.

At Enoggera, the recruit’s day would have begun early, often before sunrise. Reveille would sound, followed by breakfast and a full day of instruction. The first lessons were basic military discipline. Recruits learned how to march, form ranks, salute officers, obey commands instantly and maintain their equipment. Much of their time was spent on the parade ground.

The Army placed enormous importance on drill. To a modern observer it can seem pointless, but drill taught men to move together, follow orders automatically and develop discipline. Officers believed that men who could maintain order on a parade ground were more likely to maintain order under fire.

The men would also have received extensive rifle training. The standard weapon was the .303 calibre Short Magazine Lee-Enfield rifle.

The recruits learned:

·      Rifle handling and safety.

·      Loading and unloading.

·      Aiming and sight adjustment.

·      Rapid-fire techniques.

·      Cleaning and maintenance.

·      Musketry exercises.

Many recruits came from rural backgrounds and were already familiar with firearms, but military marksmanship was a specialised skill requiring considerable practice.

Physical training was another major component. They would have undertaken route marches carrying increasing amounts of equipment. These marches toughened the men physically and accustomed them to carrying heavy loads over long distances. They also helped identify recruits who were unlikely to withstand the rigours of active service.

Bayonet training was particularly emphasised. Instructors taught recruits how to attack enemy trenches using thrusts, parries and butt strokes. Much of this training took place against straw-filled dummies. The Army wanted men to develop aggression and confidence before facing combat.

Fieldcraft training was also introduced. The recruits would have learned:

·      Digging trenches.

·      Constructing defensive positions.

·      Use of cover and concealment.

·      Sending military messages.

·      Guard duties.

·      Camp sanitation.

Sanitation was considered critical. Disease had killed more soldiers than bullets in many previous wars, so recruits received instruction in cleanliness, water discipline and camp hygiene.

Because they had enlisted after the Gallipoli campaign, instructors could draw upon real battlefield experience. Many training staff were veterans who had returned from Gallipoli wounded or sick. Their lessons were often practical rather than theoretical, based on what they had actually experienced under fire.

When the recruits embarked, they were not yet a fully trained infantryman by later-war standards. Rather, they had mastered the fundamentals of soldiering. The Army expected much of his advanced training to occur after arrival in England then on to the Western Front

In their short time at Enoggera, it was a whirlwind introduction to military life. During that short period, they learned military discipline, rifle handling, drill, bayonet fighting, route marching and fieldcraft. By the time the men boarded their troopship they were already beginning to think and act like a soldier of the AIF, though much of his hardest training still lay ahead in the training camps of England

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 SYDNEY TO ENGLAND

On the 21^st December 1916 his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on the 23^rd December 1916, they embarked on the HMAT A64 Demosthenes. Alongside his comrades, John 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. In an attempt 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, where the ship would refuel & take on supplies, 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. The danger was greatest in the Western Approaches near Britain, where U-boats patrolled choke points like the English Channel and Irish Sea.

EGYPT

After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. They could only wonder at the sights and sounds they could see as they watched the ship being refuelled and goods taken on board

ENGLAND

About a fortnight later the men finally saw the green shoreline of England. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the training grounds of England, preparing for what lay ahead.

CODFORD TRAINING CAMP MARCH 1917

The men disembarked on the 13^th March 1917 and were marched into Codford training camp. 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: This included British-issued gear better suited to the Western Front.

·      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.

When the recruits entered the camp, they joined one of the Australian training establishments on the Salisbury Plain in southern England. By this stage of the war, the Australian Imperial Force had developed a highly organised training system designed to ensure that every reinforcement arriving in France possessed the skills needed to survive on the Western Front.

The time they spent at the camp were among the most important of their military career. Rather than being sent directly to the front, they underwent intensive preparation under instructors who were often veterans recently returned from France. These men had firsthand knowledge of trench warfare and passed on lessons learned through hard experience.

Life in the camp followed a demanding routine. Reveille sounded early each morning, followed by physical training designed to build strength and endurance. After breakfast, the men spent long hours on the training grounds learning and practising the skills they would soon need in battle. Rifle shooting remained a fundamental part of instruction, and the men would have spent considerable time on the ranges improving his marksmanship and learning to care for his weapon under all conditions.

Much of the training focused on trench warfare. Practice trench systems had been constructed across Salisbury Plain, allowing recruits to experience conditions similar to those they would encounter in France. They learned how to move through communication trenches, occupy front-line positions, stand sentry duty and maintain defensive works. They practised digging trenches, constructing parapets and revetments, and laying barbed wire obstacles.

Bombing instruction was another important part of the syllabus. Recruits learned how to throw and handle grenades safely, a skill that had become essential on the Western Front. They were also taught how to react during enemy bombardments, how to seek cover and how to move forward under artillery fire.

Field exercises frequently involved entire companies and battalions. During these manoeuvres, the recruits practised attacks on mock enemy positions, advancing behind simulated artillery barrages and coordinating movements with neighbouring units. Such exercises often lasted for many hours and could continue regardless of rain, cold or mud. The instructors were determined that recruits experience something of the hardships they would face in France.

Route marches formed a regular feature of camp life. Carrying rifles, ammunition, packs and equipment, the men marched many miles across the rolling countryside of Salisbury Plain. These marches built stamina and accustomed soldiers to carrying heavy loads over long distances. By the end of his training, the men would have been capable of marching for hours while carrying the equipment required in active service.

If applicable

Beyond the formal training, the also gave the recruits the opportunity to form friendships with fellow Australians who shared anticipation and uncertainty about their future. In the evenings, men wrote letters home, attended educational lectures or spent what little leisure time was available discussing rumours from the front and wondering what lay ahead.

After many months of continuous preparation in England, 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 crossed to France, 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.

HOSPITALISED MARCH 1917 MUMPS

Life in the camps brought its own health challenges. The spring weather on Salisbury Plain was notoriously cold, damp and windy, and respiratory illnesses were common among soldiers living in crowded huts and tents. John was admitted to Parkhouse Hospital on the 13^th March 1917 with mumps. Mumps was, and is, a contagious viral illness, easily spread among the soldiers. It can cause fever, swelling of the salivary glands and inflammation in other parts of the body.  Soldiers would have suffered fever, headaches, tiredness, body aches & poor appetite. There is no specific treatment for mumps. Instead, treatment focuses on symptom relief. Treatment would have included plenty of rest, lots of fluids, using a warm or cool compress to relieve facial pain and swelling & eating foods that do not need a lot of chewing. He rejoined the camp on the 31^st March

HOSPITALISED MAY 1917 OTITIS MEDIA

On 17 May 1917, John was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital suffering from acute suppurative otitis media, a serious infection of the middle ear. The condition usually developed following a severe cold, influenza, sore throat, or infection of the upper respiratory tract. Bacteria could travel from the throat through the Eustachian tube into the middle ear, causing inflammation and the accumulation of infected fluid behind the eardrum. Soldiers were particularly susceptible because of overcrowded living conditions, exposure to wet and cold weather, and the physical strain of military training.

John would likely have experienced severe ear pain, a feeling of pressure within the ear, diminished hearing and possibly fever. In cases described as "suppurative," the infection had produced pus within the middle ear cavity. If pressure became excessive, the eardrum could rupture, allowing discharge from the ear but often relieving some of the pain. Such infections were taken seriously by military medical authorities because they could lead to chronic hearing loss, mastoid infections, or more serious complications if left untreated.

Treatment in 1917 was necessarily limited, as antibiotics had not yet been discovered. Medical officers would have confined John to hospital bed rest while attempting to control the infection and encourage drainage from the ear. Warm antiseptic irrigations or ear dressings were commonly used, together with pain-relieving medications. If the pressure behind the eardrum became severe, doctors might perform a small surgical incision in the membrane, known as a paracentesis, to allow the infected material to drain. Good nutrition, rest and careful observation were important parts of treatment while the body's own defences fought the infection.

After a week of hospital care, John's condition improved sufficiently for him to be discharged from Fargo Hospital on 24 May 1917. Although his illness had temporarily interrupted his training, he was fortunate to recover without the prolonged disability that such infections sometimes caused. His brief stay in hospital serves as a reminder that even far from the front line, soldiers faced a constant battle against disease and illness while preparing for service overseas.

FRANCE AUGUST 1917

The unit travelled to France from Folkstone on the 6^th August 1917. After crossing the English Channel, the reinforcements usually landed at one of the great base ports such as Le Havre, Rouen, Boulogne or Étaples. From there they were not sent directly to their battalion. Instead, they entered the Australian Base Depots, where records were checked, equipment inspected and final preparations made before they moved forward.

At the Base Depot, soldiers:

·      Were accommodated temporarily in tent lines or huts.

·      Underwent further medical checks and physical conditioning.

·      Received final kit issue or replacements, like steel helmets or trench gear.

·      Participated in more training, especially focused on trench warfare, gas drills, musketry, and battlefield discipline.

·      Waited for transport orders to go “up the line” to join their assigned battalion.

The base depot system was designed to ensure new arrivals were combat-ready after the journey and the winter conditions in France & to regulate the flow of reinforcements to the front, only sending them when the unit was ready to receive them or when replacements were needed

TAKEN ON STRENGTH AUGUST 1917

John was taken on strength with the 52^nd Battalion, 4^th division, on 24^th August 1917. This means a soldier was officially assigned to and accounted for in a specific military unit's nominal roll. It meant they were integrated into the unit for daily operations, including food, discipline, equipment, and frontline duties

BATTLE OF POLYGON WOOD 1917 SEPTEMBER 26^TH - OCTOBER 3^RD

Polygon Wood was the second of three battles between 26^th September and 4 October 1917 in which ‘step by step’ or ‘bite and hold’ tactics were used to batter down the formidable German defensive positions. After an opening bombardment the infantry would advance for a prescribed distance behind a ‘creeping’ barrage of shells. This barrage would keep the Germans in their ‘pillboxes’ until British soldiers were almost upon them. The enemy positions would then be captured consolidated and protected from counter-attack by artillery. Artillery would be brought forward and the next ‘bite’ attempted. In this way the British aimed to work their way from their start lines near Ypres to the heights of the ridge ten kilometres away at Passchendaele village. Charles Bean, the Australian Official Historian described the opening barrage on 26 September as the most perfect that ever protected Australian troops and that it rolled ahead of the troops roaring ‘like a Gippsland bushfire’. The battle cost 5,770 Australian casualties

KILLED IN ACTION 26^TH SEPTEMBER 1917

John was killed in action on the 26^th September, the day that marked the beginning of the Battle of Polygon Wood. The divisions of the Anzac Corps that were located southwest of the centre of Zonnebeke were the 4th and 5th Australian Divisions. The 5th Australian Division was positioned on the right and they were assigned to take over Polygon Wood. The 4th Australian Division was positioned on the left and attacked with the 4th and 13th Australian Brigades, respectively located on the right and the left in between the divisional borders. The main goal of the 13th Brigade was to seize Brick Yard
Both divisions were successful in obtaining the two objectives; the Red Line and the Blue Line; and consolidating those lines.
Due to some inaccurate information concerning the division and brigade to which the 52nd battalion belonged, it’s difficult to determine were private Akers exactly fell on the 26th of September. Nonetheless, we presume that he fell between Albania Farm and Brick Yard.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the  Bangalow-Clunes Great War Honour Roll and Memorial Sculpture, Lismore & District Memorial Honour Roll, Murwillumbah War Memorial, Uki Tweed River South Arm War Memorial, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. His name is also recorded on the Roll of Honour in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial Number 154 among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War

NO KNOWN GRAVE

The Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 29), Belgium

The Menin Gate Memorial (so named because the road led to the town of Menin) was constructed on the site of a gateway in the eastern walls of the old Flemish town of Ypres, Belgium, where hundreds of thousands of allied troops passed on their way to the front, the Ypres salient, the site from April 1915 to the end of the war of some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

The Memorial was conceived as a monument to the 350,000 men of the British Empire who fought in the campaign. Inside the arch, on tablets of Portland stone, are inscribed the names of 56,000 men, including 6,178 Australians, who served in the Ypres campaign and who have no known grave.

The opening of the Menin Gate Memorial on 24 July 1927 so moved the Australian artist Will Longstaff that he painted 'The Menin Gate at Midnight', which portrays a ghostly army of the dead marching past the Menin Gate. The painting now hangs in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, at the entrance of which are two medieval stone lions presented to the Memorial by the City of Ypres in 1936.

Since the 1930s, with the brief interval of the German occupation in the Second World War, the City of Ypres has conducted a ceremony at the Memorial at dusk each evening to commemorate those who died in the Ypres campaign

PERSONAL EFFECTS, MEMORIAL SCROLL MEMORIAL PLAQUE, VICTORY MEDAL

His father received John’s personal effects on the 15^th November 1918. They consisted of letters, cars, photos, 2 discs and a belt. His father received his Memorial Scroll on the 30^th May 1922, his Memorial Plaque on the 7^th November 1922, Victory medal on 28^th May 1923.

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