John Ambrose McGinness

McGINNESS, John Ambrose- – – – SPC 1905

DoB:- – 1889, Framlingham, near Port Fairy, VIC

Father:- – John McGinness

Mother:- – Margaret, nee Scott

John McGinness was a boarder at St Patrick’s from his family’s farm, -‘Fernbank’ at Framlingham, an area near Port Fairy in Victoria. He was a cousin of James Patrick (SPC 1896) and Paul Joseph (SPC 1910-1911).

Service No:- 6386

Rank:- – Driver

Unit:- – 4th Field Artillery Brigade

John McGinness enlisted at the age of 26 years and 11 months, on 3 August 1915. He was a married man, having married Ellen Kelly in 1911 at the age of 23, and his occupation was farmer. He was five feet, five and a half inches tall, with a medium complexion, grey eyes and dark hair.

John McGinness embarked from Australia aboard the Wiltshire on 15 November, disembarking the following month at Suez on 15 December 1915. After some months training in Egypt, he proceeded from Alexandria to Marseilles. In June 1916 he had to forfeit three days’ pay for the crime of absenting himself from morning parade.

He remained in France throughout 1916 and 1917. He had to answer to the crime of -‘drunkenness’ on 18 June 1917, and had to forfeit seven days’ pay for this unseemly behaviour. After two furloughs in England in August 1917 and the following year in September, Driver McGinness returned to the UK to prepare for his return to Australia in February 1919.

McGinness boarded the Castalia on 18 April and was discharged from the AIF in Australia on 22 July 1919.

Back in Australia, John returned to farming at Purnim, an area near Framlingham where he was born, and close to Warrnambool. John died on 7 August 1963, aged 75. He was buried at Warrnambool Cemetery, Victoria.