From Ireland to Australia: Winters Family History
Henry Johnson (1872-1933)
Henry Johnson was the 7th child of a total of 9 children born to John Johnson and his wife Eliza nee Taylor. He was born at Willow Place Hampstead on 29th April 1872. Not a lot is known about the early life of Henry but it is known that he worked for the London Railways for over 25 years. Among his possessions was a fob watch given to him in 1911 to recognise his 25 years of service to the Railways. This means that he commenced with the Railways at age 14 years. This fob watch is in the possession of the family of Hilary Fowle a granddaughter of Henry.
Henry married Elizabeth Foakes in August 1897 in Shadwell Middlesex and this marriage produced 4 children born between 1898 and 1909. During 1911 the family made the decision to migrate and family stories indicate that the family was considering going to Canada or to Australia. Had they decided upon Canada again family stories indicate that they would have sailed on the Titanic. Instead they travelled from Middlesex to Liverpool by either train or coach and caught the vessel the Waimana that departed UK on the 24th December 1911.
The vessel arrived at Fremantle on 31st January 1912 with Henry and Elizabeth and their 4 children aged between 2 1/2 and 14 years. The accommodation pre arranged did not materialise and the family stayed with a Mr and Mrs Greene on the basis that Elizabeth assist Mrs Greene following the birth of her first child. That child, named Nora Greene later Vine remained a life long friend of Henry's youngest daughter Kathleen.
The family found accommodation then in May Street (later Mayfair Street) West Perth and according to Postal Directories lived at houses number 4, 7 and 11 before they purchased a block of land for 5 pounds at 50 First Avenue Graylands later Claremont. They were offered land in Victoria Avenue Claremont now Dalkeith but preferred to be closer to the railway station. The family built their home on this block making provision for a horse and sulky at the rear of the house. This house was demolished many years ago.
Family stories again indicate that Henry had difficulty in obtaining regular work and we believe that this lack of work and with a touch of patriotism in January 1916 he enlisted in the 44th Battalion in Claremont and commenced his Infantry training. The history of this Battalion has been recorded by Neville Browning and this story of the 44th Battalion reads very much like the diaries of the soldiers who served at that time.
Henry and the whole of the 44th Battalion sailed from Fremantle on 6th June 1916 on board the A29 Suevic arriving at Plymouth on 26th July. Neville Browning's story tells of the Battalion's training on Salisbury Plains before going to France in November 1916.
Henry served in the 11th Trench Mortar Battery and near Messines in July 1917 he was wounded in the chest, abdomen and thigh and shipped out to England to Hospital and then aged 45 was deemed overage and sent home in December 1917. During the period after 1918 it is understood that Henry worked for Gordon and Gotch a printing firm in Perth however when he died in May 1933 he was employed by the Racecourse at Belmont.