| [Index] |
| Christian Martin (Ben) JOHNSON (1892 - 1916) |
| Clerk (AMP) |
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| b. 25 May 1892 at Homestead, Queensland, Australia |
| d. 15 Nov 1916 at Villers-Bretonneux, France aged 24 |
| Parents: |
| Peter Martin Joachim Joakim Martinus JOHNSON AAS (1860 - 1935) |
| Florence Amelia MADDEN (1873 - 1929) |
| Events in Christian Martin (Ben) JOHNSON (1892 - 1916)'s life | |||||
| Date | Age | Event | Place | Notes | Src |
| 25 May 1892 | Christian Martin (Ben) JOHNSON was born | Homestead, Queensland, Australia | 1892/C007003 | ||
| 06 Jun 1914 | 22 | Will | Peter Martin executor | ||
| 08 Aug 1914 | 22 | Embarked for Thursday Is 1st Australia Garison Artillery | Thursday Island | ||
| 08 Mar 1915 | 22 | Enlisted Australian Infantry Forces 25th Batallion | 25th Battalion 7th Brigade | ||
| 16 Apr 1915 | 22 | 2nd Lieutenant | Note 1 | ||
| 31 May 1915 | 23 | Application for commission in AIF | |||
| 01 Jun 1915 | 23 | Lieutenant | Gazette 61/1915 | ||
| 29 Jun 1915 | 23 | Embarked from Brisbane | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | HMAT Aeneus | |
| 04 Sep 1915 | 23 | Joined MEF Gallipoli Peninusla | Alexandria, Egypt | ||
| 11 Sep 1915 | 23 | Will | Note 2 | ||
| 14 Nov 1915 | 23 | Admitted to 13th Casualty Clearing Station with Jaundice | Gallipoli Peninsula | ||
| 19 Jan 1916 | 23 | Rejoined battalion | Tel-el-Kebir | ||
| 14 Mar 1916 | 23 | Proceeded to join British Expeditionary Force | Alexandria, Egypt | Note 3 | |
| 25 Jul 1916 | 24 | Captain | Note 4 | ||
| 28 Jul 1916 | 24 | Wounded in Action | Pozieres, France | Note 5 | |
| 30 Jul 1916 | 24 | Admitted to No 1 Red Cross Hospital | Le Touquet, France | ||
| 02 Aug 1916 | 24 | Transferred to England, HS "Dieppe" | France | Note 6 | |
| 07 Aug 1916 | 24 | Admitted to research hospital Cambridge | |||
| 08 Oct 1916 | 24 | Rejoined battalion | France | ||
| 15 Nov 1916 | 24 | Christian Martin (Ben) JOHNSON died | Villers-Bretonneux, France | Somme, battle of Flers | |
| 15 Nov 1916 | 24 | Killed in Action | Villers-Bretonneux, France | ||
| Personal Notes: |
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Christian Martin born 1892 at Homestead was the first of the seven Johnson brothers to win scholarships to Townsville Grammar. He was employed by the AMP Society prior to enlisting in the 1st AIF where he fought at Gallipoli and in France. Loved and respected by all his men, Captain Johnson of 25th Bn was killed leading his men into battle on 15 Nov 1916.
Christian Martin Johnson Rank Captain [Capt] Unit 25th Bn Service Army Conflict 1914-1918 Date of Death 15 November 1916 Cemetery or Memorial Details 26 Villers Bretonneux-France Place Of Enlistment Townsville, QLD War Grave Register Notes JOHNSON, Capt. Christian Martin. 25th Bn. 15th Nov., 1916. Age 24. Son of Peter Martin Johnson and Florence Amelia Johnson, of Cosmopolitan Hotel, Cloncurry, Queensland. Born at Homestead, Queensland. Source AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army Nominal Roll has him as 'Clarence Martin' Extensive records at Australian Archive. http://naa16.naa.gov.au/rs_images/ShowImage.php?B=1825153&S=1&T=R His application for a Commission in the AIF (31/5/1915) states his education: Queensland State Scholarship, Townsville Grammar School, Sydney University Junior, Extermal examiation for AMP Society. 5 years is ist Australian Garrison Artillary: gunnery 96 days, sergeant 145 days plus other illegible. Qualified at gunnery, gun laying, semaphore signalling. C of E. As well as the military records of casualty and field Service, there are several letters between parents/siblings and the army asking for things. The letters become more and more bitter from Peter Martin: 15/8/1916 Cable to PMJ advising that PMJ had shell shock and gas poisoning. 8/12/1916 PMJ to army - rumour of son's death, asking for any particulars (accurate rumour, he was killed on 15/11), wanting return of CMJ's belongings and any pay owed. 11/12/1916 AIF Kit store to PMJ - 'one kit bag (sealed)' containing many listed items. Shipped 28/3/1917. 20/12/1916 Reply from army to PMJ's letter of 8/12/1916 - death 'somewhere in France on 15/11/1916', PMJ would be contacted through channels, apply for belongings & pay. 11/1/1917 PMJ to army requesting his son's belongings and stating his son's service record and that he (PMJ) was the sole executor of the will, and wanting certificate of death. 26/1/1917 Cable to PMJ advising CMJ killed in action on 15/11/1916, 'no record available'. 6/2/1917 letter form Royal North Kennedy Lodge asking army for Certificate of death so pay can be finalised. 26/2/1917 AIF Kit Store addition to parcel of 20/11/1917 30/3/1917 PMJ to army - refers to 2 letters from Capt Johnson (30/8/1915 & 23/7/1916) in which he stated his belongings were with an agent in Cairo and asking that the belongings be found and returned. 11/4/1917 AIF Kit Store to PMJ 'One Uniform Case (sealed)' containing many listed items. Shipped 25/4/1917 31/5/1917 PMJ to army reluctant to sign receipt because belongings not present. 14/6/1917 Inter-army letter passing on PMJ's comments that not all belongings arrived. 'Military Department laid claim to when my son was killed - forward without delay'. 6/8/1917 PMJ to Army, 'did my son receive a decent burial, at what place if any & numbe of his grave. No info from army though it is part of their job to keep records'. 11/9/1917 Army to PMJ, no info on burial, just date of death. 13/9/1917 PMJ to Army, two packages arrived but not sealed and contents short of what is on docket. 'is customery to return the sword of a fallen officer'. 26/9/1917 Army to PMJ Johnson stating that person effects sent were properly sealed, and little could be done about missing items. 8/10/1917 from public curator to army paymaster questioning date of commission to Captain 20/6/1916 or 25/7/1916 23/10/1917 From Army advising that all of CMJ's kit had been sent - no trace of missing items. 7/11/1917 to PMJ re missing belongings - can't find sword case. 7/2/1920 From FAM (his mother) where are his medals that 'are due to me'. 1/3/1920 army to FAM - PMJ as executor gets the medals not FAM. 25/3/1921 - Record of medals - Star (#23598), British War Medal (#16666), Victory Medal (#16599) 17/10/1923 From Oscar Johnson (OSJ) to the army asking what happened to his brother's remains - were they re-interred in a central cemetery. 31/10/1925 from army to OSJ - no trace of exhumation and re-interment in an established military cemetery. Remains in original resting place in Guedacort area. No trace of grave. 25th Battalion The 25th Battalion was raised at Enoggera in Queensland in March 1915 as part of the 7th Brigade. Although predominantly composed of men recruited in Queensland, the battalion also included a small contingent of men from Darwin. The battalion left Australia in early July, trained in Egypt during August, and by early September was manning trenches at Gallipoli. At Gallipoli the 7th Brigade reinforced the depleted New Zealand and Australian Division. The 25th Battalion, however, had a relatively quiet time because the last major Allied offensive had been launched, and turned back, in the previous month. It left the peninsular on 18 December 1915. After further training in Egypt, the 25th Battalion proceeded to France. Landing on 19 March 1916, it was the first AIF battalion to arrive there. Now fighting as part of the 2nd Division, it took part in its first major battle at Pozières between 25 July and 7 August in the course of which it suffered 785 casualties. After a spell in a quieter sector of the front in Belgium, the 2nd Division came south in October to attack again in the Somme Valley. The 25th Battalion took part in two attacks to the east of Flers, both of which floundered in the mud. Although it acted in a supporting role at the second battle of Bullecourt, the 25th Battalion did not carry out a major offensive role again until 20 September 1917, when it was part of the 2nd Division's first wave at the battle of Menin Road in Belgium. Victory here was followed up with the capture of Broodseinde Ridge on 4 October. The 25th reprised its role from Menin Road, in what was its last large-scale offensive action for the year. 1918 was an exhausting year for the 25th Battalion. It fought to turn back the German spring offensive in April, and then participated in battles at Morlancourt, Hamel, Amiens and along the Somme Valley as the German Army was pushed ever closer to defeat. These actions sapped the strength of the AIF, already terribly weak due to earlier casualties and lack of reinforcements. In September, the 25th was one of several battalions ordered to disband to reinforce others. Its troops mutinied, winning the Battalion a temporary reprieve. The battalion went into the line one last time on 3 October 1918 and took part in a successful attack to break through the German defences around Beaurevoir. It was disbanded nine days later. Battle of Flers 05 November 1916 - The village of Flers, in the Somme valley in France, gave its name to a series of attacks launched by 1 ANZAC in November 1916. By this time the Somme battlefield had been deluged with rain and the attacks were made in atrocious conditions. The attacking waves of troops were sucked down by the cloying mud and thus, unable to keep up with their creeping artillery barrage, became easy targets for German machine-gunners and riflemen. The first Flers attack was launched on 5 November with the 1st Brigade advancing against trenches north of Gueudecourt, and the 7th against a complex of trenches known as "the Maze". Both attacks managed to capture some of their objectives, but were eventually forced to withdraw. Another attack was launched against the Maze by the 5th and 7th Brigades on the morning of 17 November, it also succeeded in capturing a portion of the German trenches, but a surprise attack two days later returned this to the enemy. 25th Infantry Batalion War Diary for 15 Nov 1916 reads "Relieved by 28th Bn in front line at 1.30am & moved to SWITCH TRENCH in support.Total Casualties - Capt C M Johnson Killed, Capt WF Douisch?Missing Capt B E White wounded, Lt R W Grnt missing, 2/lt WP Healy Killed, 2/lt Goward J H wounded.Other Ranks 188." Also http://www.aif.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=154757 |
| Source References: |
| 2. Type: Book, Abbr: Devon to Downunder, Title: Devon to Downunder, Auth: Bettie Elworthy, Publ: Bookbound, Date: 1997 |
| - Reference = 160 (Name, Notes) |