SINCLAIR, John Hensley (1883-1936)Born on 29 November 1883, John Sinclair was the son of the Rev John Sinclair and Elizabeth nee Hensley.
In 1898 he was enrolled as a day student at Geelong Collehe. His address at the time was Myers St, Geelong.
During World War I, he enlisted (No. 5758) as a private in the 8th Infantry Battalion - 18th Reinforcements on 7 February 1916 and embarked on 30 July for France on
HMAT A33 Ayrshire. There he transferred to 59 Battalion, and was wounded in action in October 1917. He returned to Australia on
HMT Port Lyttleton, embarking on 10 June 1919.
His brothers,
Hugh Sinclair (1885-1942), and Robert McGregor Sinclair (1888-1977), were also educated at Geelong College.
'The 59th Battalion was raised in Egypt on 21 February 1916 as part of the expansion of the AIF. Approximately half of its recruits came from the veteran 7th Battalion, and the other half were fresh reinforcements from Australia.
Reflecting the composition of the 7th, the 59th was predominantly composed of men from rural Victoria. The battalion became part of the 15th Brigade of the 5th Australian Division. On 19 July 1916, the 59th became embroiled in its first major battle on the Western Front, less than a month after it arrived in France. The Battle of Fromelles was a disaster for the 59th. Attacking in the first wave, the 59th suffered heavy casualties at the hands of German machine-gunners, and its advance faltered far short of its objective. Despite grievous losses, the units of the 5th Division manned the front line around Fromelles for a further two months.
The 59th spent the winter of 1916-17 rotating in and out of the front line. In March 1917 the battalion participated in the advance that followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, but was spared having to assault it. It did, however, defend gains made during Second Bullecourt. Later in the year, the AIF's focus of operations switched to the Ypres sector in Belgium. The 59th's major battle there was at Polygon Wood on 26 September.
With the collapse of Russia in October 1917, a major German offensive on the Western Front was expected in early 1918. This came in late March and the 5th Division moved to defend the sector around Corbie. During this defence, 59 Battalion participated in the now legendary counter-attack at Villers-Bretonneux on 25 April.
When the Allies launched their own offensive around Amiens on 8 August 1918, 59 Battalion was among the units in action, although its role in the subsequent advance was limited. The battalion fought around Peronne in the first days of September and entered its last battle of the war on the 29 Septembert 1918. This operation was mounted by the 5th and 3rd Australian Divisions, in co-operation with American forces, to break through the formidable German defences along the St Quentin Canal. The battalion withdrew to rest on 2 October 1918 and was still doing so when the war ended. The 59th Battalion disbanded on 24 March 1919.' Sources: Based on an edited extract from ‘Geelong Collegians at the Great War’ compiled by James Affleck. p117 (citing Australian War Memorial; The Pegasus; National Archives).