224159 Major. John Edward Christoe Australian Imperial Force 41st Btn. from:Maryborough, Queensland John Christoe was born on the 12th of March 1884 in Maryborough, Qld to Charles Penrose Christoe and Julia Eugenie Cuvet [Madame Christoe]
On the 16th of August 1909 (Age 25) he was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Wide Bay Regiment, Qld and on the 1st of July 1912 (Age 28)he joined 4th Infantry, Wide Bay, Qld
On the 23rd of December 1912 he was appointed Lieutenant with the 4th Infantry, Wide Bay, Qld
and on the 16th of November 1913 (Age 29) he was seconded to HO Area 4B, Maryborough, Qld
On the 1 June 1914 he was appointed Captain
and in November attennded a Short Course (Infantry) at Duntroon
In March 1915 he was A&I Staff at £375 per annum nand was promoted to
Acting Brigade Major 3rd Brigade Area on the 16th of April 1915.
In July he took a Short Course (Musketry) at Enoggera
On the 1st of April 1916 he was appointed Captain with the 41st Battalion AIF and embarked for active service abroad on the 16thm landing on the 20th of July 1916 at Plymouth, England. After training on Salisbury Plain, on the 24th of November 1916 the Battalion embarked from Southampton to France. John was promoted on the 11th of March 1917 to Major in the 41st Battalion AIF it was noted he was unmarried at the time. On the 21st of March 1917 John was blown up and buried by a shell explosion at Ploegsteert in Belgium and was admitted to a temporary field hospital. This could have been during the failed Nivelle offensive against the Germans which preceeded the successful and famous Battle of Messines which commenced on 7th June 1917, which in turn led to successful battles at Ypres and Passchendaele.
On the 29th of March 1917 he rejoined the 41st Battalion [eight days recuperation clearly wasn’t enough, as subsequent events would show]
On the 6th of June 1917 the Allies were subjected to a gas attack by the Germans on Ploegsteert Wood, causing between 500 and 2,000 casualties. Nan told me that her father had been exposed to gas during WW1 so this was probably when it occurred.
On the 23rd of June 1917 John suffers a severe gun shot wound to the right shoulder at Messines. and the following day was evacuated to the 14th General Hospital at Boulogne, France.
On the 30th of June he was evacuated to England on the hospital ship Saint Patrick and admitted to the the 3rd London General Hospital. He recovered from the GSW but was diagnosed with shell shock, concussion, tremors, loss of memory and inability to concentrate as a result of being blown up at Ploegsteert three months earlier and subsequently being gassed and shot. It was estimated that he would be incapacitated in terms of AIF service for 6 ½ months.
On the 15th of July 1917 he was discharged from the 3rd London General Hospital and embarked for Australia the next day from Avonmouth.
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