Name: John McHugh
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Birth Date: 1879 |
Where: Heidelburg, Victoria |
Died: 4 October, 1917 |
Where: Broodseinde, Belgium |
Place of Enlistment: Blackboy Hill, Western Australia |
Age: 36 |
Serial Number: 1752 |
Battalion: 28th |
Rank on Enlistment: Private |
Rank on Discharge/Death: Sergeant |
Awards: 1914 - 15 Star, British War Medal 1914 - 1920, Victory Medal,
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Service Details:
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14 June |
1915 Enlisted, Blackboy Hill Training camp |
15 January |
1916 Joined Battalion Tel-El-Kebir |
21 March |
1916 France |
6/7 June |
1916 Trench Raid |
29 July – 27 Aug. |
1916 Pozieres (Sausage Valley) |
4 August |
1916 Pozieres |
6 September |
1916 Belgium |
October |
1916 Ypres and Dernacourt |
3 November |
1916 Battle of Ancres Heights & Fricourt |
Febuary |
1917 Warlencourt |
March |
1917 Attack on Malt Trench |
May |
1917 Battle of Bullecourt (Hindenburg Line) |
June |
1917 Bapaume |
August |
1917 Cassel |
18 September |
1917 Ypres |
27 September |
1917 Promoted Sergeant |
4 October |
1917 Died of Wounds, Broodseine, Belgium |
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Biographical Details:
John McHugh, the second son of John McHugh and Alice Edwards, was born in Heidelburg, Victoria in 1879. His father died in 1908.
A timber hewer John enlisted with the 2nd reinforcement of the 28th Battalion in June 1915. After some initial training at Blackboy Hill his unit was shipped to Egypt for more training before joining the 28th Battalion, in Egypt, on its return from Gallipoli.
On the Trench Raid John McHugh was a member of the Covering Party which waited in no man’s land to cover the withdrawal of the trench parties.
A month after the Raid John was wounded at Pozieres. He was evacuated to England where he was treated for shrapnel wounds to a shoulder, back and legs. He was unable to rejoin his Battalion until January 1917.
In April John was hospitalised with Trench Fever . He returned to his unit in July but three months after rejoining his unit he was wounded again and died at a Canadian Casualty Clearing Station.
The following was taken from a Red Cross report:
I was told by Sgt. Kennedy of C. Co. (since killed) that he was with McHugh at Westhoek Ridge in Oct. when he was wounded. They were in a fatigue party and McHugh was hit by a piece of shrapnel and badly wounded. They were on a corduroy road and the same shell killed the driver of a wagon on the road. The horses bolted and the wagon went over McHugh.
John Was buried at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium. He was thirty eight years old. He left no dependants.
John McHugh’s mother was presented with his service medals, a Memorial Scroll and Memorial Plaque although not before having to prove that she was his closest surviving Next of Kin.
A disease transmitted by body lice. It was rarely fatal but required a long recovery period (a month or longer).
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