The AIF Project

John COLHOUN

Regimental number5824
Place of birthTyrone, Ireland
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationLabourer
AddressPO, Boorabin, Western Australia
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation24
Height5' 7.75"
Weight144 lbs
Next of kinFather, Samuel Colhoun, 20 Dungaven Road, Waterside, Co Londonderry, Ireland
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date6 June 1916
Place of enlistmentPerth, Western Australia
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name27th Battalion, 16th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/44/4
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia, on board HMAT A16 Port Melbourne on 30 October 1916
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Discharge date17 November 1919
Other details

War service: Western Front

Embarked Fremantle, 30 October 1916; disembarked Devonport, England, 8 December 1916; marched in to 7th Training Bn, Rollestone, 29 December 1916.

Found guilty, 12 January 1917, of being absent without leave from midnight, 10 January to 6:00 am, 12 January 1917: awarded 2 days' confined to Camp and forfeited 2 days' pay.

Proceeded overseas to France, 8 February 1917; marched in to 2nd Australian Division Base Depot, Etaples, France, 9 February 1917; proceeded to join unit, 11 February 1917; taken on strength of 27th Bn, 12 February 1917.

Admitted to 7th Australian Field Ambulance and transferred to 2nd Divisional Rest Station, 14 March 1917 (diarrhoea); discharged to duty, 19 March 1917; rejoined Bn, 20 March 1917.

Admitted to 14th Field Ambulance, 15 June 1917 (severe trench feet); discharged to duty, 27 June 1917; rejoined Bn, 29 June 1917; admitted to 5th Field Ambulance and transferred to 3rd Casualty Clearing Station, 5 July 1917; (trench feet); discharged to duty and rejoined Bn, 13 July 1917.

Admitted to 5th Australian DRS, Belgium, 3 October 1917 (pyrexia); discharged to duty, 13 October 1917; rejoined Bn, 14 October 1917.

Wounded in action but remained at duty, 18 December 1917.

On leave to England, 21 January 1918; admitted to Military Hospital, Derry, England, while on leave, 9 February 1918; discharged from hospital, 27 February 1918.

Proceeded overseas to join unit, 28 February 1918; rejoined Bn, France, 1 March 1918.

Found guilty, 3 May 1918, of being absent without leave from 9:00 am, 9 April to 9:00pm, 22 April 1918: admonished by Commanding Officer and forfeited 12 days' pay.

Found guilty, 30 May 1918, of being absent without leave from 9:00 am, 21 May 1918 until surrendering himself to Military Police at 8:30 pm, 23 May 1918: admonished by Commanding Officer and forfeited 2 days' pay.

Detached to 172nd Tunnelling Company, 28 July 1918; rejoined Bn, 6 August 1918.

Field General Court Martial held on 18 September 1918: charge: Absent without leave from 2:00 pm, 3 September 1918 until arrested by Military Police at 6:30 pm, 4 September 1918; pleaded guilty, found guilty; sentence: 2 years' imprisonment with hard labour.

Taken to Safe Custody Compound, 21 September 1918; admitted to 10th Military Prison to undergo sentence of 2 years' Imprisonment with hard labour, 22 October 1918; transferred and admitted to Wormwood Scrubbs Military Prison, Dunkirk, England, 25 May 1919; 'sentence suspended on release from prison', 18 June 1919; marched in to Weymouth Command Depot, 19 June 1919.

Found guilty, Tidworth, 9 August 1919, of being absent without leave from midnight, 6 August to 9:30 pm, 8 August 1919: admonished by Commanding Officer and forfeited 3 days' pay.

Commenced return to Australia on board HT 'Barambah', 3 September 1919; disembarked Perth, 17 October 1919; discharged, 17 November 1919.

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Date of death26 April 1963
Place of burialKarrakatta Cemetery
SourcesNAA: B2455, COLHOUN John

Print format    


© The AIF Project 2024, UNSW Canberra. Not to be reproduced without permission.