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John Ernest Athol Stuart was born at Woolongong, NSW on the 24th of June 1877 to John Anthony Stuart(1) and Mary Jane Strachan.
John - known as Athol - was a Bank Manager with the National Bank in Perth, WA when he enlisted in Perth in the AIF on the 16th of October 1915, aged 40. Initially he was a private, then a Sergeant and finally appointed as a Second Lieutenant in February 1916. Athol embarked aboard the HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray with the 20th Reinforcements, 11th Battalion in September.
In January 1917 Athol spent two weeks in Fargo Military Hospital, England, suffering from bronchitis. He joined the 11th Battalion, D Company, 16th Platoon, in France in March. Three weeks later on the 14th of April he was captured by the Germans and sent to Karlsruhe Camp as a prisoner of war (POW).
STATEMENT (abridged) by Lieutenant Stuart
Early in the morning , I found myself in an exposed position with both wings "in the air", and with a sunken road between me and the remainder of my Company. Before this however, the Boche, had attacked us in the dark. We fought him off for about four hours. He got into the sunken road and thus cut us off from the rest of the Company.
Judging by the number of the enemy I could see - I after-wards found their strength to be at least two divisions - I gave up all hope of being relieved. At night they attacked us again on one flank. By this time seven of my men were killed, and two men were badly wounded and requiring immediate medical attention.
As we had no ammunition left, beyond a very few rounds, we could offer no resistance to the enemy whose number I estimated at 300 men. I therefore decided my only course was to surrender.
Here my men were interrogated by German officers Next day we walked to Sormain and entrained there for Douai where I was separated from the men and after staying three days in a filthy room with very little to eat, I was taken by stages through Belgium to Karlsruhe.
After six weeks there I was moved to Strohen, remaining eight months, and from there went on to Furstenberg which place I left on December 9, 1918 to take up repatriation work in Copenhagen.
I left Copenhagen on February 8,1919 on the hospital ship Formosa bound for Cherbourg, with sick and wounded prisoners of war - French, Italians and some Serbs.
I eventually arrived at Southampton on February 16, 1919.
Service Record
STATEMENT by Lieutenant Stuart
The Battalion was taking up position about 750 yards in front of our old line, on the night of April 14. I was on the extreme right with No. 16 platoon. I had to make a half-right movement to link up with a platoon which was to make a half-left, and we then had to form a frontage of from 1,000 to 1,500 yards.
In the dark we failed to establish contact. There was a bend in the line which was unknown to us, thus accounting for the Platoons missing contact. I sent out patrols who failed to establish communication.In the meantime we dug in, as time was getting on.
Early in the morning , I found myself in an exposed position with both wings "in the air", and with a sunken road between me and the remainder of my Company. Before this however, the Boche, had attacked us in the dark. We fought him off for about four hours. He got into the sunken road and thus cut us off from the rest of the Company.
I had only 23 men with me.
The Germans then dug in practically all around us. They kept potting at us through the day. We could see them well in the rear of us, occupying the line which we had held originally.
Judging by the number of the enemy I could see - I after-wards found their strength to be at least two divisions - I gave up all hope of being relieved. At night they attacked us again on one flank. By this time seven of my men were killed, and two men were badly wounded and requiring immediate medical attention.
As we had no ammunition left, beyond a very few rounds, we could offer no resistance to the enemy whose number I estimated at 300 men. I therefore decided my only course was to surrender.
Within an hour of capture I succeeded in getting the wounded men treated by a German doctor, who attended to them immediately, and appeared to be solicitous for their welfare.
He promised me they would be sent to Hospital at once. I did not see them again.
With the remainder of my men I was marched from one Headquarters to another, walking all night until about 1.30am.
We were finally thrown into a shed where a large number of Russians - a big working party - were sleeping in tiers round the walls. Neiyher the men nor myself had eaten anything since midnight of April 14.
The following morning we were given a small portion of bread and tinned meat. We were then marched to a town where I was interrogated by a German staff officer.
From there we walked to to Bouchain where we spent the night.
Here my men were interrogated by German officers Next day we walked to Sormain and entrained there for Douai where I was separated from the men and after staying three days in a filthy room with very little to eat, I was taken by stages through Belgium to Karlsruhe.
After six weeks there I was moved to Strohen, remaining eight months, and from there went on to Furstenberg which place I left on December 9, 1918 to take up repatriation work in Copenhagen.
I left Copenhagen on February 8,1919 on the hospital ship Formosa bound for Cherbourg, with sick and wounded prisoners of war - French, Italians and some Serbs.
I eventually arrived at Southampton on February 16, 1919.
Personally I met with nothing but courtesy from the German officers I encountered, but had to suffer, along with the rest, through disciplinary measures enforced as retaliation against disorderliness on the part of the British officers.
As regards this "disorderliness", any pretext sufficed the German Camp authorities for disciplinary action.
Furstenberg was a particularly good camp, being under the protection of the Grand Duke of mecklenburg Strelits and the king of Denmark, who personally interested themselves in the welfare of the prisoners there and the conduct of the Camp.
Service Record
Whilst Athol was a prisoner of war he was promoted to Lieutenant. After arriving back in England in February 1919 he was granted three months leave before he embarked for home aboard the Morea in October and arrived back in VIC some time later. His appointment was terminated in January 1920 and he resumed work at the National Bank of Australasia, Victorian staff.
