Victory Medal : Captain J K Henderson, 13 Battalion, AIF

Victory Medal, impressed around the edge with recipient's details.

Associated with the service of Captain John Keith Henderson, who was born in London, England on 29 January 1891. Henderson immigrated to Australia with his parents when he was a year old. He later attended Sydney Grammar School, before going on to study dentistry at Sydney University where he qualified as a dental surgeon.

Henderson enlisted in the Australian Medical Corps on 18 August 1914 as a part of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF) that had been formed to take possession of German New Guinea and the neighbouring islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. He was allocated the regimental number 36 and the rank of private. He embarked the following day with the other members of the ANMEF from Cockatoo Island aboard HMAT Berrima.

After a brief stop at Palm Island for further training, the force proceeded to New Britain, where after several brief skirmishes, the German troops surrendered. The British flag was raised over Rabaul on 13 September. Henderson was promoted to corporal on 1 February 1915 during garrison duties at Herbertshohe. He returned to Australia in late February and was discharged on 4 March, his period of engagement over.

He joined the AIF as an officer candidate on 27 March and qualified as a second lieutenant in July 1915. On 8 August, he was posted to the 8th reinforcements to the 13th Battalion, AIF. He embarked from Circular Quay aboard HMAT Runic on 9 August. Henderson joined the 13th Battalion at Gallipoli on 23 October. He served there until 14 December, when he contracted malaria and was evacuated to hospital on Mudros Island.

He arrived in Egypt on 3 January 1916 and was promoted to lieutenant on 20 January. He was further promoted to captain on 1 March. Henderson then travelled with the battalion to France, arriving in Marseilles on 8 June. The battalion went into action in August 1916 at Pozieres and while leading an attack on a German trench on 14 August Captain Henderson went missing. witness accounts vary, but it seems he was badly wounded or killed while leading his men. He was posted as missing in action, before a court of enquiry listed him as having been killed in action. His body was never recovered and his name is commemorated on the Memorial at Villers Bretonneux.