21st Infantry Battalion
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John Thomas Orchard (SN 2030) was born in Donald and was a 44 year old labourer in Ballarat when he enlisted in the 21st Battalion on July 24th 1915. He embarked from Melbourne aboard the Anchises on August 26th. In October he reached Gallipoli and served there for six weeks until he was evacuated to hospital at Mudros suffering from rheumatism. He was transferred to Heliopolis, where in February 1916 pneumonia caused him to be admitted to hospital again. He left Suez in early March for return to Australia aboard the Argyllshire and disembarked at Melbourne on May 7th 1916. He was discharged as ‘medically unfit' soon after.
