JOHNSON, Henry Beresford

JOHNSON, Henry Beresford – A Southern Downs Veteran

CONFLICT : WWI
SERVICE NO : 1345
RANK : Private
UNIT : 11th Light Horse Regiment
ENLISTMENT DATE : 14/08/1915
AGE : 21
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT : Toowoomba, Queensland
PLACE OF BIRTH : Unknown
RELIGION : Presbyterian
OCCUPATION : Farmer
DATE OF DEATH : 30/11/1944
PLACE OF BURIAL : Mount Thompson, Queensland

MEMORIALS : Yelarbon War Memorial, Yelarbon Roll of Honour

View Veteran’s Service File : File not open

NOTES :  At this point in time little is known about the life of Henry Beresford Johnson. His military records are incomplete with only closed medical files being held at the National Archives of Australia. No record of his service files can be currently located.

We know his father was James Francis Johnson of Inglewood and the family were members of the Presbyterian faith. Henry was making his living as a farmer at the time of his enlistment on 14th August 1915.

The medical file has his place of enlistment down as Toowoomba. The Nominal Roll lists him as being a Trooper in the 1st Imperial Camel Brigade. The Unit embarked from Sydney, on board HMAT A23 Suffolk on 30 November 1915. Later he was a Private with the 11th Light Horse Regiment, 7th Reinforcements.

The Queenslander newspaper published his name in the Roll of Honour list of those returning to Australia, published on Saturday 4 May 1918.

Henry is known to have returned to Inglewood. There is a plaque in the Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens which bears his name and that of James Leslie Johnson L.A.C. R.A.A.F. It is believed this person could have been related to him.

Copyright 2026 Deborah C Wheeler and Duncan McLean, Southern Downs Military History

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