British War Medal 1914-20 : Private H Johnston, Australian Remount Depot, AIF

British War Medal 1914-20. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

British War Medal 1914-20 awarded to 1951 Private Henry Johnston, who was born at Chirnside in Berwickshire, Scotland. Soon after his family moved to Melrose. Johnston's uncle worked at hunting stables and it was here that Johnston was first introduced to horses. Johnston became a shepherd, but later moved to Stirling where he left farming to become a fettler on the railways. He married Hannah MacQuarrie and they migrated to Australia in 1912, settling at Warwick, Queensland. Johnston became a bookkeeper, but later returned to farming. He was a farmer near Toowoomba, Qld, and almost 40 years old when he enlisted in the AIF on 4 October 1915. He was allocated to 7 Squadron, 2 Australian Remount Unit. Johnston embarked from Sydney on 10 November aboard RMS Orontes, arriving in Egypt in December. Two Australian remount units were raised to take charge of the horses left in Egypt by the light horse regiments while they were fighting at Gallipoli, so that all the men serving in them could be released for front line service on foot. Both remount units contained 4 squadrons. Initially it was believed that the work would not be hard and the maximum age for enlistment in the units was placed at 50. Consequently the remount units contained older experienced horsemen and a number of Boer War veterans. However the combination of work and the Egyptian climate was more severe than anticipated and it was found that men aged 45 years old or younger were better suited to the work. The men selected for the remount units were chosen for their knowledge of horses and related trades - such as farriers, saddlers and wagon drivers and rough riders. By the time the remount units actually arrived in Egypt, the decision had been made to evacuate Gallipoli so their original role was no longer required. Instead it was decided to make them part of the general remount service in Egypt. In March 1916 the two units were halved and merged so that there were now just four squadrons in the Australian Remount Unit. Men who were not retained in the remounts, who were the right age and fitness level could apply for a transfer to a fighting unit. If they were not suitable to be transferred they could return to Australia for discharge. Johnston was retained and became part of the new remount unit. In April the depot moved to Heliopolis Racecourse, where it trained and maintained mules and horses used for mounted and transport duties. They sent animals to where they were required, including shipping mules to Salonika and escorting replacement horses and mules to the mounted units in Egypt and Palestine. In October 1916 the unit was reduced even further to only the headquarters and two squadrons and renamed the Australian Remount Depot. Again Johnston remained with the remounts. In July 1917 the depot moved to Moascar. In December 1918 Johnston was one of 55 men who returned to Australia from the remounts due to age, health or family reasons. He left Egypt aboard HMAT Somali on 26 December 1918, arriving in Australia on 14 February 1919, and was discharged on 12 April. While Johnston was serving in Egypt, Hannah had purchased a block of land at Collaroy in Sydney, where she lived in two small tents with her three children, until her husband's return. Upon his return, they sold the block of land and built a brick house at Ryde. Johnston obtained an outdoor job working for Drummoyne Council.