David Thomas Johns

First Name: 
David
Middle Name: 
Thomas
Last Name: 
Johns
Alternate Spelling: 
John
Date of Birth: 
Thursday, July 2, 1891
Mother's Name: 
Eliza or Elizabeth (nee Davis)
Father's Name: 
William Johns
Date Enlisted: 
Tuesday, August 18, 1914
Rank at Enlistment: 
Private
Rank at Discharge: 
Private
Unit: 
4th Battalion
Company: 
A
Service: 
Infantry
Awards: 
1914/1915 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Date of Death: 
Friday, August 18, 1916
Place of Death: 
Moquet Farm, France
Cause of Death: 
Killed in action
Details: 

Private David Johns (Service no. 244) was born in Wales on 2nd July, 1891. He came to Australia in 1913 and was working as a miner at Bulli when war broke out. His enlistment papers indicate he was a single man but there was a son in Wales.

David enlisted very early and was with the 4th Battalion on HMAT A14 Euripides with the first contingent to leave Australia. He saw service on Gallipoli and was evacuated sick to hospital in Egypt in August, 1915. He travelled to France with the 4th Battalion and on 11th August, 1916 he was promoted to Lance Corporal. On 18th August, 1916 he was in the fighting for Moquet Farm. He was on patrol in no-man's-land and volunteered to take an urgent message to headquarters. He never made it and his body was never found. It took seven attempts and seven men's lives before the message got through.

David was living at Bulli and there are letters from his mother asking about items left there to be sent to her. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.

Sources: 
NAA: B2455, JOHNS DAVID THOMAS