John Walter DERRICK
Year of Birth: 1888
Place of Birth: Richmond, Tasmania, Australia
Date of Enlistment: 29 December 1915
Date and Place of Embarkation: 29 December 1915
Ship: RMS Orontes
Rank: Private
Unit(s): 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion
Regimental Number: 5076
Died: 8 June 1917
John Walter Derrick was born 26 May 1888 to Joseph Samuel and Kate (Catherine nee Kane) Derrick. He was the oldest son with siblings Sarah Jane Elizabeth (b. 1887), George William (b. 1889), Lillian Suzannah (b. 1891), Sarah Anne Jane (b. 1893), Essie (b. 1895) and Flora Priscilla (b. 1896).
John Derrick arrived in Cairns on the Warilda in early August 1914 and enlisted in the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force which embarked from Cairns on the Kanowna for Thursday Island to take part in the capture of German New Guinea. He returned to Townsville on 18 September 1914 on account of the trouble caused by the fireman on the ship. He was discharged on 18 September 1914 classified as eligible for the British War Medal.
He must have returned to Tasmania as he enlisted in the A.I.F. on 29 December 1915 at Claremont, Tasmania. He was 27 years 8 months old, 5 feet 9 inches tall with a fair complexion, green eyes and medium hair. His religion was Roman Catholic. He named his brother, George William Derrick, his next of kin, his father having died in 1899.
Private Derrick embarked on the RMS Orontes with the 12th Infantry Battalion from Melbourne, arriving in Suez on 25 April 1916.
As part of the 13th Training Battalion he embarked on the HMT Franconia from Alexandria Egypt and arrived at Plymouth England 16 June 1916. He was admitted to hospital sick at Rollestone, Wiltshire and forfeited pay for overstaying leave.
He proceeded overseas to Etaples, France arriving on 17 September 1916 and taken on strength with the 52nd Battalion. He was admitted to hospital several times suffering from both influenza and trench fever finally rejoining his unit 13 May 1917.
He was killed in action 8 June 1917 and is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium.
His family remembered him in the Roll of Honour published in the Mercury newspaper, Hobart on 6 July 1917.
Online Resources
NAA: B2455 (DERRICK J W) National Archives of Australia
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Australian Light Horse Studies Centre
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
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