Ramsay, John McDairmid
SURNAME
Ramsay
NAME
John McDairmid
PLACE OF BIRTH
Lancashire, England
OCCUPATION
Labourer
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT
Maryborough, QLD
DATE OF ENLISTMENT
21/11/2016
NEXT OF KIN
(brother) William James Ramsay, Richmond Street, Maryborough, QLD (see father J McD Ramsay of Port Douglas, Qld Figaro, Thursday 21 May 1914)
LINK TO DOUGLAS SHIRE
Would appear to be the son of John McDairmied Ramsay of Port Douglas
REGIMENT 1
31st Battalion AIF
REGIMENT 2
Other Battalions
RANK
Private
CAMPAIGN 1
Western Front
DATE DISCHARGED
29/03/2019
OTHER INFORMATION
British War Medal No.30077; Victory Medal No.28637
STORY OUTLINE
It would seem that John McDairmied Ramsay may have exaggerated his age in order to enlist in Mackay.
His next-of-kin brother, William James, had been reported in 1914 as the son of J McD Ramsay [Snr.] of Port Douglas, but John in his application to enlist, states that both his parents were overseas - the Port Douglas Register of Births lists his birth in Port Douglas as 23/02/1899 making him 17 years and eight months at enlistment and he signed his middle name as McDairmied instead of the McDiarmid family name of his father.
He embarked at Sydney on 14/06/1917 aboard HMAT Hororata A20 and disembarked at Liverpool, England on 26/09/1917.
After several periods of sickness, on 28/01/1918 he was sent to France to reinforce the 52nd Battalion and two months later was admitted to field hospital with trench fever and subsequently sent back to England for further hospitalisation on 1/04/1918.
While convalescing he served with the Australian Postal Corps. After more periods of hospitalisation he was transferred to the 49th Battalion in November 1918 before being invalided back to Australia on HMAT Orsova A67 departing England 15/01/1919 and disembarking on 27/02/1919 at Brisbane.
SERVICE NO
5093
