John Joseph Nash Wheeler

John Joseph Nash Wheeler was born in 1883 in Corryong, Victoria, to George Wheeler and Rebecca Lucy, nee Scammel.

When volunteers were asked to serve the Empire in the Second Boer War, John was quick to enlist. He became a trooper in the 3rd New South Wales Imperial Bushmen, having been allocated Service Number 24. He would spend 3 years with this unit, returning to Australia on the 11th August, 1902.

On the 13th August 1915, he enlisted at Brisbane, QLD. At the time, he was a single, 30-year-old stockman from Brisbane, QLD. He was allocated Regimental Number 1807 and placed in the 12th Reinforcements for the 5th Light Horse Regiment. John Joseph Nash gave his next of kin as father, George Wheeler. After initial training, he embarked on SS Hawkes Bay at Sydney, NSW, on 23rd October 1915. John would serve in the Middle East theatre of war. 

John embarked on SS Hawkes Bay on the 23rd October, 1915, sailing from Sydney, New South Wales. The trip would take him across the Great Australian Bight to Fremantle, on to Colombo, in Ceylon, before finally disembarking at Suez, at the southern end of the Suez Canal.

Not long after arriving in Egypt, John was admitted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital at Ghezireh Palace, Cairo, with influenza. He would remain in hospital over the Christmas and New Year period before being discharged back to duty on the 6th January, 1916.

On the 27th March, 1918, the 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade, which included the 5th Light Horse and therefore John, was part of a strong British raid on Turkish forces, aimed at cutting the Kejaz railway line running south from Damascus. The War Diary of the 5th Light Horse for this period records the action in which John was seriously wounded.

“The enemy counter attacked and the 6th and 7th had to withdraw to their old positions. Unfortunately, a number of shells burst amongst the led horses of C Squadron killing ten and wounding about 20 besides blowing one man to pieces and seriously wounding another.”

John’s Casualty Form indicates that he suffered a serious wound to the thigh and testicles due to a high-explosive shell. He was taken by the Australian Camel Corps Field Ambulance to the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance and finally the 26th Casualty Clearing Station. John remained here for about a week before being transferred to HMHS Kantara, evacuated to Cairo, and admitted to the 14th Australian General Hospital. It would be two weeks before John was removed from the dangerously ill list and another two and a half months before he was transferred to the transport SS Port Darwin on 12th July, 1918, for return to Australia. It is difficult for us to know how John’s parents felt as they received a number of telegrams informing them of John’s condition, with the simple phrase “condition improving”. 

Mrs James Heyenga (John's sister) and Mr G. Wheeler (John’s father) received a letter from John and shared the news in the 25th July 1918 issue of the Corryong Courier.

“Mrs James Heyanga and her father, Mr G. Wheeler, have received letters from Pte. J. J. Wheeler, who was wounded some time back, written for him by a mate under date 23/4/18. In them he says he was wounded on 28/3/18 in the Ammon stunt, when he received a nasty wound in the thigh, which broke his thigh bone. He thinks the wound will land him back in Australia. He thanked them for parcels sent. The letters were written for him by Pte. H. C. Cook, of the Anzac band, who states that Jack is a good patient, and has great grit. It will probably be some time before he is able to get about. His address is 14th Australian General Hospital, 7th Ward. The letters are very nice and show the good feeing existing between the British and Australians.” 

He was discharged on 1st March 1919, being awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service during the war.

In 1945, at West Footscray, Victoria, John married Marjorie Isabel Davies. During their 26-year marriage, they had no children. John passed away on 17th  December, 1971, at Heidelberg and was buried at Preston General Cemetery, Victoria. Marjorie died the following year and was laid to rest with John.