39th Battalion
Killed In Action
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John Hewitson Smythe (SN 1393) was born in Ballarat but attended the Broomfield State School before Ballarat Technical School. He was an 18 year old labourer when he enlisted on April 5th 1916. He was allocated to the 39th Infantry Battalion and embarked from Melbourne on board the Ascanius. He spent the first twelve months of his service in England, reaching the battlefields of France at the end of June 1917. He was wounded in action in April the following year, then was killed in action the following day while being evacuated. He died on April 6th 1918 and is buried in Heilly Station Cemetery, France.
