Herbert Calmit Johnson
Stephen LearmonthHerbert was born in Gundagai, NSW, in 1895. He was the first child of Herbert and Elizabeth Waugh (née Dick). Three daughters would be added to the family, Lilian in 1899, Alma in 1900 and Ena in 1902. According to family records, the Johnson’s moved from Gundagai to Nagambie, Victoria, around 1899 and then, the following year, to Geelong. Tragedy struck the family when Elizabeth died the same year that Ena was born. She passed away at her residence on Roslyn Rd, Highton, at age 32 and was buried at Barrabool Hills Cemetery, Highton, Geelong.
At the age of seven, Herbert was left to look after his two younger sisters. Some records claim that Ena also died in 1902, while others indicate that there was also a younger brother. What is known is that Herbert was left without a mother at an early age. At some stage the family moved to Corryong, as Herbert provided this as his, and his father’s, address at the time of his enlistment. At the age of 13, Herbert jnr was taken on as an apprentice tailor by Herbert snr.
Herbert underwent his medical examination while he lived in Hansen Street, Corryong. Once again the signature on his certificate was that of Doctor D P Greenham; a signature that appeared on many local men’s medical certificates. On the 24th of November, 1915, Herbert was finally signed in and became Private Herbert Johnson, Regimental Number 4214 of the 13th Reinforcements for the 7th Battalion, 1st AIF.
On the 29th of December, 1915, Herbert embarked on HMAT A64 Demosthenes at Melbourne. Upon arriving at Serapeum in Egypt he was transferred to the 1st Pioneer Battalion. This battalion embarked on HMAT A70 Ballarat on the 27th of May and arrived at Marseilles on the 1st of April. At 5:00 pm the following day, the battalion was aboard a train heading for “an unknown destination” as the war diarist recorded. By the 5th of that month they had detrained and had been ordered to proceed to Rouge Croix in France. The war diarist was clearly not impressed as he wrote, clearly, on separate lines, “no guides provided, No Staff Officers, No Stores.”
However, the battalion prevailed and arrived at the correct location on time. Some officers and other ranks were attached to the 172nd Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, whilst others were employed to establish workshops for blacksmiths, carpenters, painters and armourers. In mid-August the battalion moved to the Albert region being bivouacked in an area known as the Brickfields. From here men would be detailed to work further up in the reserve and frontline trenches. On the 19th of August, Herbert found himself part of a group tasked with digging communication trenches out to frontline trenches. It was difficult, dirty and dangerous work. The casualties incurred by the group up until 12 noon that day was one officer wounded, seven OR [other ranks] killed and 60 OR wounded. Herbert was amongst the wounded, having received a gunshot wound on his right side. He was taken to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance where his wound was initially cleaned and bandaged. He was then sent on to No. 44 Casualty Clearing Station. The following day he was taken by No.15 Ambulance Train and admitted to the No. 26 General Hospital at Etaples. His wound was deemed serious enough for him to be sent back to hospital in England. He would remain in the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall until the end of October.
Herbert wrote to his father after he had been wounded. The Thursday, 2nd of November, 1916, edition of the Corryong Courier included extracts from Herbert’s letter to his father:
“Extracts of letter from Private Herbert Johnson written to his father, Mr Johnson, Tailor, Corryong, under date August 25th, 1916, from France:- At present am in hospital. Cannot say that I am enjoying myself either. Got hit Saturday, 19th August, just before daylight. There was a lively attack on and Fritz was shelling like hell. Put one right into the gun possie we had dug, and knocked two of us out. Have not seen my mate since, but think he got it in the head. I have got mine in the right side near chest. It is only a flesh wound, also one in my back, low down on the left side. The one in the side is the worst, but I believe it is looking healthy now. I bared my ribs, and took the lump out 3 ½ x 1 ½ inches, but will be just as good again when it heals, which I think it is doing easily. Have a good bit of pain one way and another, but by the time I get and answer to this letter will be going with the boys in the battalion again. When we were on the march before we went in, I met Tom Paton [from Corryong]. He is a driver. When we were up in the line, met Dick Neville, just a few hours before I got hit.”
He also wrote to his sisters from Bishop’s Knoll Hospital, Stoke Bishop, Bristol on the first day of September, 1916.
“When I wrote last letter to father I was in hospital at Etaples, France for ten days. Leaving France yesterday, 2 a.m. we arrived and were in bed in this hospital about 10 pm. Had a very nice trip over. We went by train to Calais, which meets the hospital boat that brought us over to Dover. Came over in 1 hour 15 minutes. We entrained in Dover about 8 a.m. passed through London at 9:30 p.m. Were then brought to this hospital in motors eight miles out from the station. Too much about my travels. It was in the Somme district, and passing Albert again on our way to the front, that I got put out of action. Our machine gun section was holding that part of the line left of the Windmill North of Poziers, right in front of Thiepval, which the Germans still hold, but not for much longer, if all goes well with our boys. We went into the front line over the ridge in the afternoon, all of us loaded like pack-horses, and we had to go at the double from one shell hole to another, because the front communication trenches were blown to pieces. Fritz could see us but we all got into the firing line without getting hit. We kept quiet that night, and the front trenches had to advance 200 yds, and the (M.G.S) had to go out into “No Mans Land” as covering party on the workers to stop Fritz if he attempted to attack. They shelled us very heavily, but did not show out with any infantry. I was lucky to miss a trip to Germany that night. Got lost in the fog and smoke in “No Mans Land”. I was in a fix for a while, but eventually got back to our front line. We took up our new position then (Thursday night). Dodged bullets and shells until they put an extra terrific fire on to us on Friday night. One with my name and address came about an hour before daybreak Saturday morning, when they were at taking Fritz on our right, in the position I explained to father in the letter I wrote from France. It got me in the right side of the chest, and a small one in my back, which did not make too much of a hole in me, but it hit me in the muscles and made me very lame for a few days. Am great now, feeling O.K. Have to get my side healed and will be “just so” again. It is a beautiful place I am in, lovely grounds all round. Have not been around here yet. Have to rest after the long journey, but what I have already seen of England I think it is beautiful. The people are so good to us. They just can’t do enough for us. When our hospital train pulled into Bristol, a great crowd was already waiting, and they did give us a time - tea and cakes. It is all Australian here. I believe that the property is owned by a Westralian. Still address any letters to the Battalion, because I will be back there when they arrive.”
On the 22nd of December Herbert went absent without leave (AWOL). It’s unknown if he turned himself in or was arrested by the Military Police, but he had been AWOL for nearly two weeks! He was “awarded” 14 days detention and 33 days forfeiture of pay. On the 10th of January, Herbert was admitted to Detention, although exactly where is not recorded.
On the last day of March, 1917, Hebert was transferred to the 65th Battalion. He would remain in England until September when he was transferred to the 6th Battalion, 2nd Brigade of the 1st Australian Division. By the 19th of October, he was back in France and had joined the 6th Battalion in the field at the France-Belgium border, about 10 km due west of Ypres.
Clearly, by 1918, the Army had decided that they could trust Herbert to send him on a two week furlough to the UK. It’s not recorded what he did or where he went, but it is known that he returned to his unit on the 3rd of April.
The 6th Battalion’s war diarist wrote on the 16th of May 1918; “Enemy artillery was more active but chiefly scattered on rear areas, no damage being done.”
Unfortunately they were incorrect as there were five wounded and one who died of his wounds. That man was Herbert. Witness statement in Herbert’s Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing File provides us some insight into what happened.
“Died of Wounds 16-5-18
I knew Johnson as Comrade in my Company. He was a very good worker - very willing chap. When there was any sand bagging to be done (a dangerous job) he was always to the fore. On or about May 16th we were in the trenches in front of Strazeele Station, Flanders. It was afternoon and we were having tea when a shell fell into trench, wounding him and 5 others. I helped to carry him to D/S [Dressing station} and he died just as we reached it. His last words were “You are all very good to me”. He was buried near Dressing Station. The ground was held.
Informant:- Cahill. Michael James. 7471 Pte.
6th Battn. A.I.F. A.I.Pl.
(quite reliable)
Napsbury War Hpl.
St Albans.
M.”
Herbert’s death was announced to the Upper Murray on page of the Corryong Courier, dated Thursday, 20th June 1918.
“On Thursday evening last, the sad intelligence was conveyed to Mr H.P. Johnson, tailor, of Corryong, that his eldest son, Private Herbert, had died from his wounds recently received. This was the occasion of his third casualty, he having been wounded and gassed. The news came as a rather severe shock to the family, who had just been reading a letter from him received a couple of hours earlier. In it he said that he would be going into another big stunt in about 14 days and that Reg Hibbard [also from Corryong] would not be left out of the stunt. He enclosed a piece of wattle blossom sent him by his sisters last spring, saying that he was returning it for good luck, and not to worry about him. It was evidently in this stunt that deceased had received his wounds. The family had no notification that the wounds were serious. By his letters, the young soldier appears to have been very observant, and the family have the sincere sympathy of the district in their sad loss.”
On the 30th of June, 1918, a memorial service was held in the Corryong Church of England for Herbert Johnson and Claude Robinson, two Corryong boys who had “fallen” within the previous week. The Corryong Courier wrote that “a very large attendance, when the Rev. W. H. Batten preached a very able memorial service.”
Herbert was finally laid to rest in the La Kreule Military Cemetery, at Hazebrouck, France. The photo shows the position of his gravesite. He is also remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, and the Corryong War Memorial. For his service, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
