377 Sergeant John Munro Bargh, DCM
6th New South Wales Imperial Bushmen,
6th Light Horse Regiment, AIF.
by Robert Simpson
John Munro Bargh was born in the suburb of Newington in Edinburgh on 26th November 1870, a son to Thomas Miller Bargh and Charlotte Munro who had been married in 1862. He was one of 11 children. His father’s occupation was a brass founder or finisher and they lived in various locations in St. Cuthberts, Edinburgh. In 1871, they were living at 16 Roxburgh Please and in 1881 they were living in 10 St. Leonards Lane. In early 1883, the family immigrated to Australia on the ship Potosi. They arrived in Melbourne on 7th April 1883. Some time after that, they moved to Tasmania and were residing in Hobart. John’s oldest brother Thomas had moved to New South Wales and was married in 1887 and John must have gone there sometime also, maybe with him.
During the Boer War, he is noted as E Company Private 484 6th New South Wales Imperial Bushmen. On a roll for the Queens South African Medal for the Imperial Bushmen his name is crossed out and it is also noted he was entitled to the South Africa 1901 bar. It states he was a Lance Corporal, so he must have been promoted at some time, and served from the 19th May 1900 to 23rd June 1901. It refers to the Kings Medal roll for the 2nd Scottish Horse where his regimental number was 33545 and he served from 5th December 1901 to 31st May 1902. Another roll for the Bushmen for the South Africa medal issued 1st April 1901 lists him as Trooper 484 and he was entitled to the Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and Rhodesia clasps and refers to him also being in the Scottish Horse. He was issued medal number 215. The roll for the King’s South Africa medal issued 1st October 1902 has him listed as above and being entitled to the South Africa 1901 and 1902 clasps and notes his service with the Imperial Bushmen. Another roll of the 2nd Scottish Horse notes him claiming the Queens Medal and clasps before and the Kings Medal and clasps were claimed and that he was discharged on the 7th July 1902 from Johannesburg and was now in the Natal Police. The NSW (6th) Imperial Bushmen was raised in Australia as a reply to the Boer guerrilla tactics to beat them at their own game. It consisted of volunteers and left on the transport Armenian on 23rd April 1900. The 15 months they spent in South Africa was served in Rhodesia and West Transvaal. They returned to Australia on the transport Orient on 8th April 1901. There had been recruiting of Scotsmen for a regiment to be known as the Scottish Horse. After returning John must have joined up with one of the recruiting drives through Australia. Afterwards he stayed for a while with the Military Police to ensure that Law, order and peace prevailed. It is not known how long he was with them although his WW1 service record says 15 months and then he took discharge.
His mother Charlotte passed away on 2nd February 1903 at the age of 59 years and was buried in the Cornelian Bay Cemetery near Hobart.
He joined the 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment as Trooper 377 on 26th September 1914 at Rosehill N.S.W. and embarked on HMAT Suevic on 21st December 1914. His service records states 1 year and 84 days with the Imperial Bushmen, 200 days with the 2nd Scottish Horse and 15 months with the Johannesburg Military Police and he then took a discharge. He names his sister Miss Nellie Bargh in Hobart as his Next-of-Kin. He stated his age as 43 years and 11 months; he was 5 foot 81/4 inches tall, weighed 11 stone 8 pounds, had a chest measurement of 38 + 4.5 inches and was of fair complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He had vaccination scars and tattoos on his arms. His religion was Church of England. His occupation was stated as station hand at Cuibar Station, Winton, N.S.W. Of his pay of 5 shillings a day, he was taking 2 shillings and 6 pence and leaving the rest in Australia. He proceeded to join the MEF at Gallipoli from HMT Lutzow on 15th May 1915. The 6th Light Horse was responsible for a sector on the far right of the ANZAC line and played a defensive roll until it left the peninsular. He was to be a Sergeant (Supernumerary Provisional) at Anzac Cove on 3rd August 1915 and a Sergeant (provisional) on 16th September. He reverted to a Temporary Corporal on 15th October. He was sent to the Hospital with a septic arm on the 17th November from the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance. He was transferred on the ship Somali to Alexandria and then to the No. 2 General Hospital with septic ulcers (phlebitis) at Cairo on 23rd November. He was promoted to Corporal on 21st December at Maadi with the 6th Light Horse. On that day, he also was confined to barracks for 7 days and fined 2 days pay for which the particulars were written for but no record was kept. He rejoined the unit on 30th December.
He was to be a Lance Sergeant at Serapeum on 23rd February 1916 and was promoted to Sergeant at El Maler on 19th March. The regiment was involved in defending the Suez Canal from a Turkish advance across the Sinai Desert. He was with the regiment at Deir-el-Belah on 25th April and was sent to the 2nd Light Horse Training Regiment at Moascar on 18th June. On 13th August, he was transferred back to the 6th Light Horse and rejoined them on the 15th at Um Urgan. The regiment was involved with patrol work in late 1916 and early 1917 until the advance into Palestine stalled at Gaza. After two abortive attempts to capture the town directly, the regiment was involved in the flanking move that began at Beersheba on 31st October. Gaza fell on 7th November and the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed. The 6th participated in the pursuit that followed and led to the capture of Jerusalem in December. He was wounded in the field on 3rd December 1917 and after going through the 2nd L.H.F.A., 75th C.C.E. and 44th Stationary Hospital he was admitted to 14th AGH in Abbassia on 12th. His wound was stated as a Gun Shot Wound in the right thigh, knee or leg depending where he was. He was mentioned in the Jerusalem Despatch in the list of awards for the A.I.F. in Egypt for the D.C.M. The Mercury newspaper in Hobart notes him in the Roll of Honour 377th Casualty List as being wounded in action. On 15th February 1918, he was transferred to the ship Ulysses at Port Said for embarkation back to Australia for discharge. He arrived on 18th March. On 15th September, he was discharged at Sydney and a note is on his records with multiple Gun Shot Wounds although it was crossed out and changed to GSW knee.
On 30th April 1918 in the London Gazette his award for the Distinguished Conduct Medal was promulgated and a letter sent to his sister in October.
His citation for the Distinguished Conduct Medal reads: Bargh J.M. Sergeant 377.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He was in charge of a patrol when the enemy launched an attack. Seeing the enemy advancing in strength he galloped his troops forward an occupied a cutting in advance of the infantry firing line. He opened fire on the advancing enemy, and by his bold stimulation of strength checked their advance and compelled them to dig in. He showed splendid courage an initiative. 1.5.18. Part of a citation also says: No. 377, Sergeant John Munro BARGH, 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment. Near WILHELMA on 27th November 1917, Sergeant BARGH was in command of a troop. His squadron was co-operating with the Infantry of the 162nd Infantry Brigade. This squadron was moving out on day patrol when the enemy attack commenced. On perceiving the enemy advancing in strength, Sergeant BARGH immediately galloped his Troop past the Infantry post at WILHELMA railway Station and occupied a cutting about a 1000 yards to the north. He opened fire on the advancing enemy and his bold stimulation of strength checked their advance and forced them to commence digging in, /thus (the record stops there).
An older brother, Robert Munro Bargh joined the Tunnelling Company as Sapper 7992 and embarked on the HMAT Nestor on 21st November 1917. He was born in 1865 and was 52 when he joined up. He had married in Victoria but was living and working in Coolgardie as a miner. His wife had passed away in 1895. The Western Argus lists him as 1 of 9 volunteers who passed as fit at the recruiting office in Kalgoorlie and he was living at Golden Ridge at the time. He embarked on 21st November 1917. The Examiner newspaper in Launceston notes him as being ill on 11th July 1918. He returned to Australia on 19th October 1918 and is noted in the Western Australian in List C of the Returning Soldiers on 26th November 1918, but he had contracted tuberculosis and passed way on 13th December 1920. He is buried in Wooroloo cemetery Northam, Western Australia.
Two sons from his older brother Thomas also served in World War 1. Robert Bruce Bargh was born in 1895, enlisted in the 35th Battalion as Private 3356 and embarked on 24th January 1917. He was killed on the 12th October 1917. He is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. A note from the Red Cross states he was in A Company and another member of that company can give details of his casualty and burial as he was originally reported as missing. Obviously, the grave was destroyed in subsequent fighting.
Another son, Joshua born in 1899 joined the IMT Company 3rd (Army) F.A.B. on 3rd October 1917 as Private 15291 and survived the war. He returned to Australia on 11th May 1919.
His sister Nellie (Ellen) Bargh, mentioned as his NOK, lived in Hobart and seemed to be quite involved in church and fundraising activities and singing. She was the youngest child in the family. She is noted numerous times in the Hobart newspapers for the work and singing she was involved in. His Father passed away in 1926 and was buried with his wife.
After the war, John lived in Sydney at 34 Ormonde St, Glenmore as noted in electoral rolls from 1930 to 1937. His occupation was stated as a labourer. On the 1943 and 1949 rolls he was living at 21 Oatley Rd, Paddington and he had retired. On 25th June 1953, he passed away. The death notice in the Sydney Morning Herald reads: – BARGH, John Munro (Jock) June 25 1953, late of 6th Light Horse (result of accident), loved brother of Mary, Charlotte, Nellie, Maggie (deceased), Jean (deceased) (all of Hobart), fond uncle of Lottie, Ailsa, Joe, and Bill aged 83 years. At rest. For funeral notice see Saturday’s “Herald”. His funeral notice reads: BARGH – The Relatives and Friends of the late JOHN MUNRO (JOCK) BARGH are kindly invited to attend his Funeral; to leave our Private Chapel, 240 Oxford Street Paddington This Morning at 9.30 o’clock for the Crematorium Easter Suburbs. Labor Motor Funerals. – Saturday 27th June. On 31st July 1953 Wistin Cutajar, 23, labourer, of Victoria St. was committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter. The paper reads; – Mr Forrest was inquiring into the death of John Munro Bargh, pensioner, of Centenial Street, Marrickville, who was fatally injured on June 20 when he was knocked down by a car in Oxford St, Paddington. Mr Forrest found that Bargh died in St. Vincent’s Hospital on June 25 from injuries received on June 20 in Oxford Street, Paddington, when struck by a moving vehicle being driven negligently by Cutajar. He further found that Cutajar did feloniously slay Bargh. Constable J.W. Pritchard, of Paddington police, said that on June 20 he went to Oxford Street, Paddington, and saw Bargh lying on the road and Cutajar standing beside a car. Cutajar had said: “I have been to a wedding and I was on the way to the breakfast, I saw a man step off the footpath and walk in the pedestrian footway. I was upon him before I could pull up. I was travelling at about 20 miles an hour and was about six paces away from the man when I saw him. I applied my brakes.” He was allowed 40 pounds bail. The outcome of the trial is not known. So, after surviving two wars his life was tragically taken in an accident. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Rose Garden at Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park.
A letter from the Public Trustee on 24th July 1953 to the Army Base Records in Canberra was asking if he had left a will but a handwritten note on it says no will was left. They were also asking about the death of Robert Bruce Bargh with a death certificate being supplied.
His medals were the Queens South Africa (Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal and Rhodesia clasps) and Kings South Africa (1901 and 1902 clasps) D.C.M., 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals.
ANZAC Biographies
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