McPHERSON, John

John McPherson was working as a farm hand when he enlisted on 5 July, 1915. Born in Richmond, Victoria, he ws the son of John McPherson, a carpenter, and his late wife, Mary. Father and son were living at 20A Hotham St., East Melbourne in 1915. John gave his occupation on his enlistment form as 'labourer'. He was 5' 11" inches tall, with fair hair an blue eyes, a Presbyterian by religion, and must have known by the time he enlisted of the horrific casualties of the Gallipoli campaign. It might even have been the reason why he enlisted.

John trained at Seymour with the 1st Battalion, befoe being plaed in the 7/24th Battalion. They embarked for Egypt from Melbourne on HMAT 'Commonwealth' A 73, on 20 November, 1915. They were placed at Serapeum for training on arrival. On 24 February,1916, John was moved again, this time to the 8th Battalion. 

On 26 March, the left Alexandria for France, disembarking at Marseilles on 31 March, 1916. From here, they went by train to the Western Front, then marched in. Here they were sent to the 'nursery' trenches, designed to accustom the men to  the sights and sounds of battle before they actually went into battle. John McPherson became ill on 5 May, and was admitted to the 3rd Field Ambulance Station with acute bronchitis. He was sick for a week, before rejoining his battalion on 12 May.

Only a week later, on 19 May, he was killed in action. No details are forthcoming about how he came to die, whether through a sniper's shot or by a random shell from the German trenches. The 8th Battalion fougth its first major battle at Pozieres, two months later.

John McPherson was buried at 'Y' Cemetery, named after a nearby farm, Wye Farm. It is near Bois Greniers, Lillee, Nord Pas de Calais. His name is remembered in the AWM Roll of Honour cards 145 and on Panel 53 in the Commemorative Area.

Killed in action 19 May 1916