John returned to live with his mother, resident at 42 Taft Street in Brooklyn, but within a couple of weeks he again enlisted on 6 May 1915 at Trentham and was assigned to the Medical Corps Stationary Hospital. A Stationary Hospital was a complete medical hospital in a particular location. Two Stationary Hospitals were assembled in New Zealand, staffed and run by officers, nurses and men. The 4th Field Ambulance was used to service and support them.
On his attestation papers his ‘apparent age’ was 21 years, he was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 144 pounds. He was described as having medium complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. His religion was Baptist. His medical examination found him to have normal sight and hearing and the condition of his teeth was good.
On his attestation papers his ‘apparent age’ was 21 years, he was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 144 pounds. He was described as having medium complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. His religion was Baptist. His medical examination found him to have normal sight and hearing and the condition of his teeth was good.
On 20 May 1915, having been home less than a month, John embarked for Egypt on H.M.T. “Moldavia”, arriving at Suez on 1 July 1915. John had not been inoculated and this was done on board ship. John was with the Medical Corps No.1 Stationary Hospital at Cairo and Port Said from where he sent a postcard dated 6 October 1915. In this postcard he said that the corps was “on the move again for destination unknown. Perhaps it will be in the papers by the time you get this.”
Two weeks later, on 19 October 1915, he embarked on the “S.S. Marquette” at Alexandria, which had been loaded with the No 1 Stationary Hospital (36 nurses, 12 officers and 143 other ranks) and the Ammunition Column of the British 29th Division (10 officers and 439 other ranks). There were also 491 mules and 50 horses on board. In total there were 741 people on board. The Stationary Hospital had been allocated to a troop ship by the British authorities, despite an empty British hospital ship, the “Grantilly Castle” having sailed on the same route on the same day from Egypt to the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki. The Stationary Hospital was destined to be established in Salonica in Greece to handle the flood of ill and wounded soldiers continuing to arrive from the stalemate fighting at Gallipoli. As a troop transport ship the Marquette was painted grey, not the white of a hospital ship which would make it safe from attack.
Two weeks later, on 19 October 1915, he embarked on the “S.S. Marquette” at Alexandria, which had been loaded with the No 1 Stationary Hospital (36 nurses, 12 officers and 143 other ranks) and the Ammunition Column of the British 29th Division (10 officers and 439 other ranks). There were also 491 mules and 50 horses on board. In total there were 741 people on board. The Stationary Hospital had been allocated to a troop ship by the British authorities, despite an empty British hospital ship, the “Grantilly Castle” having sailed on the same route on the same day from Egypt to the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki. The Stationary Hospital was destined to be established in Salonica in Greece to handle the flood of ill and wounded soldiers continuing to arrive from the stalemate fighting at Gallipoli. As a troop transport ship the Marquette was painted grey, not the white of a hospital ship which would make it safe from attack.
When steaming through the Aegean on the morning of 23 October 1915 the “Marquette” was struck by a torpedo from a German U35 submarine, when 67 kilometres south of Salonica. The ship sank within 10 minutes. 167 people died either from sustained injuries or by drowning. John Bruno Walter was one of 19 New Zealand Medical Corps staff who died, along with 10 women of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service and 3 other New Zealand men.
“By putting the medical staff in an unmarked transport in a convoy carrying troops and ammunition, the authorities unnecessarily risked their lives. The New Zealand government acknowledged as much in November 1915 when the governor, Lord Liverpool, told the British War Office that his New Zealand ministers wanted future transfers of medical units to be done by hospital ships where possible. The sinking caused great public outrage. The death of the nurses was felt particularly badly in the South Island, where the majority of them had lived or nursed. Several are commemorated there. The most elaborate tribute is the Nurses’ Memorial Chapel in front of Christchurch Women’s Hospital, which survived the earthquakes of 2010–11.
The survivors established a tent hospital at Salonika in which they treated cases of frostbite, typhoid and dysentery until March 1916, when they left for France.” http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/page/troopship-marquette-sunk-killing-32-nz-medical-staff
On 30 October 1915 John’s family was sent a cable signed by “Hamilton” (presumably Lieut-General Hamilton, Commanding Officer the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force during the Gallipoli Campaign) reporting that John was missing, believed drowned. On 7 November 1915 Lieut-General Hamilton again sent a cable to John’s mother, this time reporting him drowned. If John’s postcard from Egypt eventually reached his family its receipt must have been particularly poignant.
“By putting the medical staff in an unmarked transport in a convoy carrying troops and ammunition, the authorities unnecessarily risked their lives. The New Zealand government acknowledged as much in November 1915 when the governor, Lord Liverpool, told the British War Office that his New Zealand ministers wanted future transfers of medical units to be done by hospital ships where possible. The sinking caused great public outrage. The death of the nurses was felt particularly badly in the South Island, where the majority of them had lived or nursed. Several are commemorated there. The most elaborate tribute is the Nurses’ Memorial Chapel in front of Christchurch Women’s Hospital, which survived the earthquakes of 2010–11.
The survivors established a tent hospital at Salonika in which they treated cases of frostbite, typhoid and dysentery until March 1916, when they left for France.” http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/page/troopship-marquette-sunk-killing-32-nz-medical-staff
On 30 October 1915 John’s family was sent a cable signed by “Hamilton” (presumably Lieut-General Hamilton, Commanding Officer the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force during the Gallipoli Campaign) reporting that John was missing, believed drowned. On 7 November 1915 Lieut-General Hamilton again sent a cable to John’s mother, this time reporting him drowned. If John’s postcard from Egypt eventually reached his family its receipt must have been particularly poignant.
John’s name is amongst those who died in the sinking of the “Marquette” listed on the Mikra Memorial inside the Mikra British Cemetery in Thessalonika, Greece (refer photo above). “Mikra British Cemetery now contains 1,810 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, as well as 147 war graves of other nationalities. Within the cemetery will be found the MIKRA MEMORIAL, commemorating almost 500 nurses, officers and men of the Commonwealth forces who died when troop transports and hospital ships were lost in the Mediterranean, and who have no grave but the sea. They are commemorated here because others who went down in the same vessels were washed ashore and identified, and are now buried at Thessalonika.” http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/35900/MIKRA%20BRITISH%20CEMETERY,%20KALAMARIA
John’s service – and death - entitled his family to receive the 1914-1915 Star, the British War medal and the Victory medal, which were sent to his mother at 42 Taft Street, Brooklyn where she was still living in 1920. She also received the Active Service Gratuity for John.
After news of the sinking of the “Marquette” was received in New Zealand, many obituaries were printed in newspapers throughout the country. However, his mother and family do not appear to have put any notices in the “In Memoriam” newspaper columns in the years following his death.
John’s mother, Pauline Elizabeth, continued to live in Brooklyn until her death at 85 years old on 14 March 1958. She is buried at Karori cemetery with her husband and son Rudolph.
John’s service – and death - entitled his family to receive the 1914-1915 Star, the British War medal and the Victory medal, which were sent to his mother at 42 Taft Street, Brooklyn where she was still living in 1920. She also received the Active Service Gratuity for John.
After news of the sinking of the “Marquette” was received in New Zealand, many obituaries were printed in newspapers throughout the country. However, his mother and family do not appear to have put any notices in the “In Memoriam” newspaper columns in the years following his death.
John’s mother, Pauline Elizabeth, continued to live in Brooklyn until her death at 85 years old on 14 March 1958. She is buried at Karori cemetery with her husband and son Rudolph.