John was born at Invercargill, NZ to Henry Vinning and Annie Agnes⁽²⁾ Stringer in 1889. In 1915 John married Margaret Mary Malcom and they had at least one child, Gerte Joyce, born at South Yarra, VIC in 1919.

John was a telegraphist⁽³⁾ at the Bacchus Marsh Railway Station when he enlisted in the AIF on the 5^th of November 1915, aged 26. He embarked aboard the HMAT A40 Ceramic later that month with the 2^nd Division Signals Company.

After he disembarked in Egypt John was admitted to the 1^st Australian General Hospital in February 1916, suffering from an alveolar abscess. In March John transferred to the 4^th Division Signals Company before he embarked from Alexandria, Egypt in June and disembarked a week later at Marseilles, France.

John was admitted to hospital for a week in December and then again in February 1917 to the 2^nd Australian Field Ambulance with a septic foot. After transferring to the 45^th Casualty Clearing Station he was finally admitted to the 1^st Canadian General Hospital, Etaples, France in March - - inflammation of the connective tissues of foot. After transferring to the 6^th Convalescent Depot John was discharged to duty later that month. In May John was admitted to the 56^th Casualty Clearing Station - an abscess on the right thigh - and then to the 1^st Southern African General Hospital, Abbeville, France before being discharged to duty in early June. In July he was granted a week's leave in England. John was promoted to Lance Corporal in February 1918, however in March he was suffering from pneumonia and admitted to the 11^th Casualty Clearing Station, then to the 55^th General Hospital, Boulogne, France before being invalided back to England in April and admitted to the Royal Herbert Hospital, Woolwich - tuberculosis of the lung. In late June John was transferred to the 1^st Australian General Hospital, Stourbridge, Harefield before he embarked for home aboard the HS Karoola in July, returning to Australia in September and was discharged from the AIF in March 1919.

John was living in Middle Park, VIC in 1924 and then in Geelong East before he died at Caulfield, VIC in 1937, aged 49.

He is listed on the Bacchus Marsh & district Roll of Honour, the Roll of Honour for the Bacchus Marsh ANA and the Holy Trinity Church Roll of Honour.

Notes

1. He was a Driver, a Sapper (both equivalent to a Private) and finally a Lance Corporal.
2. Name may have been Agnes Ann.
3. Or a booking clerk.
   - The Bacchus Marsh Express 7 Sep 1912
   - The Bacchus Marsh Express 17 Jul 1915
   - The Bacchus Marsh Express 24 Aug 1918