British War Medal, named 3831 PTE J.L. HUMPHREYS. 11 BN. A.I.F. which comes with copies of service records.

John Lorimer Humphreys was born in 1881 at Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire, Wales, England.

He emigrated to Perth, Western Australia pre 1912 and was working as a traveller when he enlisted into the A.I.F. on 27/8/1915 being assigned to 12th reinforcements 11th Battalion. He had previously served with the 3rd Middlesex Artillery in England.

After initial training he departed from Australia bound for Egypt on 22/11/1915 landing in time to qualify for the 1914-15 Star.  Whilst awaiting to join the battalion he commenced to rack up various charges including being A.W.O.L. and then absent from defaulter’s parade. He joined the 11th Battalion on 2/3/1916, however the C.O. could recognize trouble when he saw it and he was quickly transferred to the 51st Battalion in June. He deployed with them to France landing on 12/6/1916, however he promptly reported sick and was sent to hospital 2 days later and subsequently to England where he remained for the remainder of the war.

To be fair he did see his fair share of fighting, usually NCO’s and attempting to escape the guard. 3 times tried by District Court Martial, once imprisoned by the civil powers, numerous A.W.O.L., drunkenness, and assault charges. Brittain would have been glad to see him go when he returned to Australia in December 1918 for discharge on 8/4/1919. He died on 22/4/1959 in Perth.

In all the years I have been collecting I have never come across a charge sheet as long as Pte Humphreys. Truly a wild character and a bad soldier.