John Roxburgh

Service number: 2631

Rank: Private

Unit: 38th Battalion (Infantry)

Service: Australian Army

Date of death: 3 August 1918

Cemetery or memorial details: Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton, United Kingdom

War Grave Register notes: ROXBURGH, Pte. John, 2631. 38th Bn. Australian Inf. Drowned at sea (from HMAT Warilda) 3rd Aug., 1918.

Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army

John Roxburgh was born at Accrington, England in 1885. He was a gas stoker at Manly Gas Works prior to enlisting. His father lived at Stuart Street, Manly. John was previously rejected for service due to defective eyesight, but finally enlisted on 19 September 1916.

He embarked on the Benallaon 9 November, and was posted to France on 6 April 1917. He was wounded in action on 20 July 1918, not seriously, and was to be hospitalised in England. However on the crossing, the hospital ship Warildawas torpedoed, and Roxburgh drowned. The Warilda was sunk in the English Channel by enemy torpedoes on 3 August 1918.