The AIF Project

John George Douglas HELSHAM

Regimental number990
Place of birthBendigo, Victoria
SchoolState School, Bendigo, Victoria
Other trainingSchool of Mines, Bendigo, Victoria
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationEngine cleaner
Address37 Milroy Street, Bendigo, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation21
Height5' 10"
Weight156 lbs
Next of kinFather, J.P. Helsham, 37 Milroy Street, Bendigo, Victoria
Previous military serviceServed for 3 years in the 8th Australian Infantry Regiment, Citizen Military Forces.
Enlistment date10 September 1914
Place of enlistmentBendigo, Victoria
Unit name7th Battalion, A Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/24/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board Transport A20 Hororata on 19 October 1914
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll7th Battalion
Other details from Roll of Honour Circular3 years military training; also a member, military band (details from mother)
FateKilled in Action 25 April 1915
Miscellaneous details (Nominal Roll)Date of fate 25 April-2 May 1915
Age at death from cemetery records21
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsThe Lone Pine Memorial (Panel No 29), Gallipoli, Turkey

The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey.

The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank.

The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here.

Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Commemorated in Bendigo Cemetery, Victoria ('Our Anzac'). Parents: Emalie (d. 20 March 1936, aged 75; bu. Bendigo) HELSHAM, of 37, Milroy St., Bendigo, and the late John Phillip (d. 1 May 1915; aged 52; bu. Bendigo) HELSHAM
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 5 April 1915.

Killed in action, Gallipoli, 25 April-2 May 1915.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Miscellaneous detailsReligion given on Embarkation Roll as 'Eng.'
SourcesNAA: B2455, HELSHAM John George Douglas

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