John Joseph Braithwaite

First Name: 
John
Middle Name: 
Joseph
Last Name: 
Braithwaite
Date of Birth: 
Monday, October 2, 1893
Mother's Name: 
Clara Braithwaite nee Richardson
Father's Name: 
Ishmael Braithwaite
Date Enlisted: 
Thursday, November 25, 1915
Rank at Enlistment: 
Private
Rank at Discharge: 
Lance Corporal
Unit: 
1st Battalion
Service: 
Infantry
Awards: 
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Date of Death: 
Saturday, August 21, 1965
Place of Death: 
Turramurra, N.S.W.
Details: 

John Joseph Braithwaite (Service No 5050) was born in Nowra, N.S.W.

At enlistment he was 21 years old, single and worked as a printer for the Nowra Leader. John joined his brother Alfred Braithwaite (Service No 5049), on the Waratah March and served with him in the 1st Battalion. He embarked on SS Makarini with the 1st Battalion, 16th Reinforcement, on 1st April 1916. John disembarked in France on 17th May 1916 and joined the 1st Battalion in France, on 18th June 1916. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 28th November 1917 and has no wounding on file. John was admitted to hospital a number of times due to sickness. He was the last of 3 brothers to return to Australia in February 1919. John was discharged medically unfit on 25th May 1919.

John enlisted for service in Bundaberg, Qld, in WW2 and served as Lieutenant Braithwaite (Service No  Q207527) with the 10th Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps from 28th April 1942 until 30th April 1944.

John died in Sydney, N.S.W., in 1965.

He is commemorated for his service on the Nowra Post Office, Showground and Public School Rolls of Honour.

John's brother's Alfred Ishmael Braithwaite (Service No 5049 ) and Henry James Braithwaite (Service No ) also served and returned to Australia.

Sources: 
NAA: B2455, BRAITHWAITE J J

Comments

Also known as "Jack" Braithwaite. Braithwaite arrived in Darwin on 1 June 1914, aboard the SS "Eastern". While in Darwin he worked for the NT Times and Gazette as a typograph operator. On 7 August 1915, he departed Darwin aboard the SS "Aldenham". In September 1918, the NT Times and Gazette received incorrect information that Jack Braithwaite had been killed in action. At the end of November 1918, they announced that he had not been killed but rather it was his cousin, Ishmael Braithwaite (7195) who was killed in Ypres on 12 October 1917 Braithwaite arrived back in Darwin aboard the SS "Mataram" on 16 July 1919. He continued to be active in the community and on 23 December 1919 was elected as the Treasurer of the Darwin sub branch of the Returned Soldiers League. He held this position until 28 October 1921. Braithwaite left the NT and eventually returned to Nowra in NSW. His resignation from the Returned Soldiers League is the last record of Braithwaite in the NT. 1914 'Shipping.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 4 June, p. 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3278069 1915 'SHIPPING.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 9 September, p. 8, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3273854 1916 'Our Boys at the Front.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 20 April, p. 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3278883 1918 'Personal.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 28 September, p. 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3291747 1918 'LOCAL NOTES.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 30 November, p. 26, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3292981 1919 'Arrivals by the Mataram.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 19 July, p. 17, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3297310 1920 'Returned Soldiers League.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 3 January, p. 14, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3302871 1920 'PUBLIC MEETING.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 31 January, p. 1, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3306095 1920 'Soldiers Monument.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 17 February, p. 5, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3308021 1920 'Anzac Commemoriation Celebrations.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 6 April, p. 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3305350 1920 'Display Advertising.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 13 April, p. 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3307577 1921 'RETURNED SOLDIERS' LEAGUE.', Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), 11 January, p. 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3304575 1922 'THE TERRITORY'S SHARE.', Northern Standard (Darwin, NT : 1921 - 1955), 8 August, p. 1, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48007001