PERSONAL LIFE

John Henry Lord was born in Minmi in 1895, son of Henry & Elizabeth. He had 3 brothers and one sister. John was married to Florence Elizabeth and had one child, Frank, when he enlistedwenry L

ATTESTATION

John travelled to Brisbane on 12^th August 1915 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was born in the Minmi, a suburb of Newcastle, was, 29 years and 11 months old and a married man. He gave his occupation as labourer. His next of kin was his wife, Florence Elizabeth, of Tyalgum

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

John also agreed to allot three fifths of the pay payable to me from time to time during his service to the support of his mother

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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 Henry Lord, 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

SO HELP ME, GOD.” 

MEDICAL EXAMINATION

His medical showed he was 5ft 8 ½ inches tall (1.73m), weighed 140 lbs (64kgs), with a fresh complexion, grey eyes & brown hair. His eyesight was good. John was Church of England and had a long scar on his left shin, another on his right shin and a third above his right knee

CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION

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

CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER

This is completed during the recruits training.

He certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. I accordingly approve and appoint him to the 26^th Infantry Battalion – 9^th to 13^th Reinforcements with service No 4654

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 men received their vaccinations for smallpox, rabies & plague, then a recruit 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 would take several months

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. A soldier’s equipment also included a dixie (mess tin), water bottle, mug, .303 Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet.

HOSPITALISED AUGUST 1915 TO APRIL 1916 ASTHMA

When John Henry Lord presented himself for service, the examining doctor could not have seen the full shadow that already hung over his lungs. John’s struggle with illness long pre-dated the war.

John was admitted to hospital on 20^th August 1915, soon after he entered the training camp. His military career stalled almost before it had properly begun. Five months in hospital or convalescence would have meant missing his original reinforcement draft. He would have watched other men depart while he remained behind, weak and recovering.

Before he ever donned uniform, he had suffered pneumonia twice — no small affliction in the early twentieth century. Pneumonia was then a grave illness, often leaving lasting weakness in the chest. It seems almost certain that John carried into the AIF a vulnerability that would trouble him throughout his service.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM SYDNEY TO EGYPT

On 10^th April 1916 his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on 12^th April 1916 they embarked on the HMAT Mooltan.

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.

According to the nominal roll John embarked the ship as a Sergeant on 5 shillings per day

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.

ILLNESS ON BOARD

Even the voyage itself took its toll. John developed varicose veins while on board, a common complaint on crowded troopships where men stood for long periods and circulation suffered. It was an early sign that his body was not coping well with the demands being placed upon it.

ILLNESS EGYPT

Somewhere along that journey — or during his time in Egypt en route — his health again faltered. The medical board later recorded that he had experienced haemoptysis, the alarming symptom of coughing up blood. For any doctor of the era, that was a warning sign impossible to ignore. It was one of the classic indicators of pulmonary tuberculosis.

ENGLAND JUNE 1916

He landed in England in June 1916. By August he was again unwell, this time with pleurisy and influenza. Pleurisy — inflammation of the lining of the lungs — brought sharp pain and difficulty breathing, and in a man with John’s history, it was deeply concerning. From then on, the pattern seems to have been one of recurring weakness. He reported frequently to sick parade with a temperature of 100.8 degrees and a racing pulse of 120. He was admitted to hospital in February 1917 and on 4^th August 1917 underwent surgery for haemorrhoids, further evidence of the strain prolonged illness had placed upon him.

MEDICAL BOARD

The medical board’s conclusion is perhaps the most telling line of all: John’s history was described as “very suggestive of pulmonary T.B.”

On 20^th August 1917 it was reported that John’s condition at present was bad. Has had cough & is entirely short of breath on exertion. Face cyanosed. He is entirely listless. Appetite is poor. Sleeps badly. Weight now 10st 5 -has lost 1 stone in 2 months. Tongue moist, throat very red & congested. Some conjunctivitis. Throat always dry. Keeps wetting lips. Chest expansion 34-37. Flattened at both apexes. Sonorous reveta L base and R apex. Bronchial in parts and breathing asthmatical and difficult.

Though his eventual discharge in November 1917 was attributed to asthma, it is difficult not to read between the lines. Tuberculosis carried a heavy social stigma, and diagnoses were sometimes softened. Whether labelled asthma or something more serious, it is clear that John’s lungs never truly withstood the rigours of military life.

RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA

John returned to Australia on 5th November 1917 on the A32 Themistocles for discharge.

OFFICIALLY DISCHARGED JANUARY 1918

On 17^th January 1918 John was discharged due to his service aggravating prior medical condition. It found asthma and bronchitis physical condition not good. Board recommends discharge due to disability- total for 6 months

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal

PENSIONS

John was granted a pension of 3pound pf from 5^th February 1918. His wife was granted a pension of 1pound 10 shillings from the same date, his son, Frank, 1 pound

DEATH

John died on 1^st March 1968- no further details found

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