Pte
John Vaughan Tonkin
Information about birth
|
Year of birth: 1893 |
|
Place of birth: Kialla West, Victoria, Australia |
General information
|
Last known residence: Wyndham Street, Shepparton, Australia |
|
Profession: Storeman |
|
Religion: Roman Catholic |
Army information
|
Country: Australia |
|
Force: Australian Imperial Force |
|
Rank: Private |
|
Service number: 2910 |
|
Enlistment date: 21/06/1915 |
|
Enlistment place: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
|
Units: — Australian Infantry, 5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
|
Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
|
Place of death: Lone House, Veldhoek, Belgium |
|
Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
|
Age: 24 |
Cemetery
|
Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXV. Row: H. Grave: 24. |
Distinctions and medals 2
|
British War Medal Medal |
|
Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
John Vaughan Tonkin was born in Kialla West in 1897, the son of Richard James Tonkin and Mary Ellen Tonkin. He enlisted on 21 June 1915 and joined the 5th Australian Infantry Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division as reinforcement. John was killed on 20 September 1917, during the battle known as the Battle of Menin Road. It was part of the larger Battle of Passchendaele. The Second Brigade managed to take the German positions. John's battalion did lose 67 soldiers, 12 others went missing.
On 8 July, he and nine other soldiers were wounded near Red Lodge, located at Hyde Park Corner in Ploegsteert. They had been billeted there. John sustained serious scrapnel injuries to his back and left arm. He rejoined the battalion in September. On 20 September 1917, the 2nd Australian Brigade was ordered to take the western part of Polygon Wood. The attack was divided into the capture of a red, blue and green line. The role of the 5th Australian Battalion was to capture the area up to and including the blue line, which was roughly at the level of Black Watch Corner. The supporting artillery opened fire exactly at the appointed time and the Australians managed to take the German bunkers. According to the War Diaries, a number of soldiers moved up too quickly and were hit by their own artillery. There were also casualties on the left flank, where the German machine guns had not been deactivated. After eliminating the last pockets of resistance, the battalion was able to consolidate its positions around the blue line. German POWs helped carry off the wounded.
The War Diaries of the battalion describe the attack as a great success. An important note here is the number of casualties that fell. About a hundred soldiers fell victim to friendly gunfire and German machine guns also inflicted casualties. One of the casualties was John. The circumstances surrounding his death were described in a letter from a comrade to John's parents. The letter was later published in a newspaper. His death took place around 7am, when part of the battalion attacked some German bunkers. ' He was sniped through the head and died instantly. He was a fine soldier and died game; he was always amongst the first to volunteer for any job that a bit of grit was required for.' John Vaughan Tonkin was killed near Lone House. He currently rests in Tyne Cot Cemetery.
On 8 July, he and nine other soldiers were wounded near Red Lodge, located at Hyde Park Corner in Ploegsteert. They had been billeted there. John sustained serious scrapnel injuries to his back and left arm. He rejoined the battalion in September. On 20 September 1917, the 2nd Australian Brigade was ordered to take the western part of Polygon Wood. The attack was divided into the capture of a red, blue and green line. The role of the 5th Australian Battalion was to capture the area up to and including the blue line, which was roughly at the level of Black Watch Corner. The supporting artillery opened fire exactly at the appointed time and the Australians managed to take the German bunkers. According to the War Diaries, a number of soldiers moved up too quickly and were hit by their own artillery. There were also casualties on the left flank, where the German machine guns had not been deactivated. After eliminating the last pockets of resistance, the battalion was able to consolidate its positions around the blue line. German POWs helped carry off the wounded.
The War Diaries of the battalion describe the attack as a great success. An important note here is the number of casualties that fell. About a hundred soldiers fell victim to friendly gunfire and German machine guns also inflicted casualties. One of the casualties was John. The circumstances surrounding his death were described in a letter from a comrade to John's parents. The letter was later published in a newspaper. His death took place around 7am, when part of the battalion attacked some German bunkers. ' He was sniped through the head and died instantly. He was a fine soldier and died game; he was always amongst the first to volunteer for any job that a bit of grit was required for.' John Vaughan Tonkin was killed near Lone House. He currently rests in Tyne Cot Cemetery.
Sources 6
|
5th Battalion Australian Infantry, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/22/17). https://www.awm.gov.au Sources used |
|
5th Battalion Australian Infantry, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/22/31). https://www.awm.gov.au Sources used |
|
First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, Vaughan John Tokin). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
|
John Vaughan Tonkin, Australia Birth Index 1837-1921, 23834. https://www.ancestry.com Sources used |
|
McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 2018), 81. Sources used |
|
Shepparton Advertiser, 'Soldiers' Letters'. Donderdag 13 december 1917, 92108286. https://trove.nla.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
|
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/464934 |
|
Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=92bbae38-c63f-4bd1-bbf8-78859724285f |
|
The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=302651 |
|
Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7634169 |