KIA

John was born in Gisborne, VIC in 1894 to John Short and Lily Whiteacre. Three of John's four brothers, Lindsay, Albert and Robert also served overseas but are not remembered in the Avenue.

John was a coachsmith⁽³⁾ when he enlisted in the AIF, 8^th Reinforcements, 5^th Battalion on the 16^th of June 1915, aged almost 21. He embarked aboard the SS Makarini in mid September and was apparently wounded at Gallipoli⁽⁴⁾.

In December 1915 John was admitted to the 3^rd Australian General Hospital, Lemnos with mumps, rejoining his unit in early January 1916 and was promoted to Corporal a month later. In February he transferred to the newly formed 57^th Battalion and was soon promoted to Sergeant. In June he embarked from Alexandria, Egypt.

A month after disembarking in France John was involved in the Battle of Fromelles and a month later in August 1916 he was wounded in action - gunshot wound to the chest, severe. John was promptly removed to a casualty clearing station and then to the 7^th General Hospital, St Omer, France -gunshot wound to the chest and scarlet fever. At the beginning of October he his reported previously seriously ill, now recovering and transferred to the 14^th Stationary Hospital, Boulogne, France and then in late October to the Northampton War Hospital, England suffering debility following scarlet fever. In November he is transferred to the 1^st Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield before being discharged to furlough.

John rejoined his unit in February 1917 and shortly after was sent to 5^th Division School for a month. In April he was admitted to hospital in Rouen, France with influenza and a month later returned to England - with trench fever - and is admitted to Greylingwell War Hospital, Chichester before being discharged to furlough in June and rejoining his unit in December. John was promoted to Company Sergeant Major (Warrant Officer class 2) in early January 1918 but three months later, on the 5^th of April he was killed in action outside Corbie, France.

...on the ridge in front of Corbie, where he was hit by pieces of shell in the back, death being instantaneous. Casualty happened about 9.30 am on April 5th 1918 at which time they were in a shell hole trying to escape from enemy aeroplane, when a bomb dropped and killed seven of them...

Red Cross Wounded and Missing

He was buried in the field where he fell.

...was in reserves at Corbie when an H. ? shell exploded afterwards. He was buried where he fell. I erected a cross over the grave with his name, number and unit on it. He was acting Sgt. Mjr. of our Co. at the time...

Red Cross Wounded and Missing

John was later re-buried at Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux.

He is listed on the Shire of Bacchus Marsh Roll of Honour, the Bacchus Marsh & District Roll of Honour and the Roll of Honour of S^t. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Bacchus Marsh. John is also remembered at the Gisborne War Memorial and the Sunbury War Memorial.

Notes

1. Maidie and Mabel Edwards placed a death notice in The Bacchus Marsh Express, 4^th May 1918
2. Date should be 5-4-1918
3. He was apprenticed to H Moffatt of Bacchus Marsh and remained with him for five years. - The Bacchus Marsh Express 4^th May 1918
4. His early records are confusing. The embarkation roll has him departing 15/9/1915 and his service record say 10/9/1915, but also states he was wounded at Gallipoli and admitted to hospital in Egypt with a septic wound to the foot on 1/10/1915. There would not seem to be enough time for him to have reached Gallipoli, got wounded and transferred to hospital in Egypt - two or three weeks.