Enlistment Address

Collie, NSW

Service Number

1644

Unit

45th Battalion,

Comment

Tooraweenah Kookaburra

Fate

RTA March 1919

Information

Private John McNabb was a single eighteen year old when he enlisted with the Tooraweenah Kookaburras on January 11, 1916. His next of kin was his mother, Katherine McNabb of Collie. He stated he had no previous service. The medical examination described him as 5’9” tall, 131 lbs, and chest expansion of 33”-36”, fair complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair, and no distinctive marks noted. His religion was Church of England.

John Thomas was assigned to the 45^th Battalion and trained at Bathurst, until they embarked from Sydney on the HMAT Ceramic on April 14, 1916. After further training in Egypt and England, he arrived in France in September 1916. He was with his unit at the Western Front in October and November, then in hospital with the mumps in December. He rejoined the unit for January 1917, but he was wounded in action on February 21, 1917. He spent the remainder of the year in hospital in England and rejoined his unit in December 1917. John returned to Australia on the HMAT Plassy and disembarked at Sydney on April 30, 1919 and was discharged on June 17, 1919.

John was issued the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. In 1938 he wrote to the army requesting duplicate medals and discharge papers, because his had been stolen from Collie, NSW. His brother William James McNabb enlisted in November 1915 and served in Egypt with the Light Horse and in France with Field Artillery Brigade. William returned to Australia in May 1919.