John Roy Joseph Corfian ALIAS Frank Smith

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Mon, 06/04/2015 - 10:47

First Name:

John

Middle Name:

Roy Joseph

Last Name:

Corfian

Mother's Name:

Mary Corfian nee McInerney

Father's Name:

Speer Nicholas Corfian

Date Enlisted:

Thursday, June 7, 1917

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

33rd Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Sunday, March 31, 1918

Place of Death:

France

Cause of Death:

Killed in Action

Details:

John Corfian (Service No 3377) was born in Strathfield, Sydney around 1901, and attended Unanderra Public School near Wollongong, N.S.W..

John was very keen to enlist, but he was under-age and his family did not support his wish to go to war. The determined lad was not deterred, and against his family's wishes he went to Sydney and enlisted under the name of Frank Smith.

'Frank Smith' stated he was 19 years old and that his parents 'William' and 'Mary Smith' had given permission for him to enlist.

'Frank' embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A18 Port Melbourne on 16th July, 1917 with the 33rd Battalion, 7th Reinforcement.

He served on the Western Front. On 30th March, 1918 John was wounded in action, sustaining a gun shot wound to the head. He was evacuated for treatment, but died of his wounds the next day. John was buried on the day he died at Adelaide Cemetery, Villers- Bretonneaux, France. He was just 17 years old.

In John's official documents, there is a letter to the AIF from his sister, Connie Corfian, dated 22 November, 1919, advising that:

"Frank Smith" is an assumed name ... The real name of the soldier is John Corfian who, being a minor without the constent of his mother enlisted under the name of "Frank Smith".

John is commemorated as J Corfian on the Unanderra School Roll of Honour.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, SMITH F