| Full Name: | Lieutenant William Henwood Johns |
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| Rank Last Held: | Lieutenant |
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| Forename(s): | William Henwood |
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| Surname: | Johns |
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| War: | World War I, 1914-1918 |
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| Serial No.: | 13/368 |
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| Date of Birth: | 1891 |
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| Place of Birth: | Te Awamutu, New Zealand |
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| First Known Rank: | - Trooper
- Second Lieutenant
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| Occupation before Enlistment: | - Unknown occupation
- Teacher
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| Next of Kin: | - J. Johns (father), Te Awamutu, New Zealand
- Mrs W.H. Johns (wife), Te Awamutu, New Zealand
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| Marital Status: | - Single
- Unknown marital status
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| Enlistment Address: | - Te Awamutu, New Zealand
- Unknown address
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| Enlistment Date: | 14 August 1914 |
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| Military District: | - Auckland
- Unknown military district
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| Body on Embarkation: | - Main Body
- New Zealand Expeditionary Force
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| Embarkation Unit: | |
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| Embarkation Date: | - 16 October 1914
- 5 December 1916
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| Place of Embarkation: | - Auckland, New Zealand
- Wellington, New Zealand
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| Transport: | |
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| Vessel: | - Star of India or Waimana
- Waihora
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| Destination: | |
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| Nominal Roll Footnotes: | Ex Main Body. |
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| Nominal Roll Number: | |
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| Page on Nominal Roll: | |
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| Campaigns: | |
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| Military Awards: | Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) |
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| Wounds and Diseases: | Wounded at Gallipoli in August 1915. |
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| Last Unit Served: | Auckland Mounted Rifles |
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| Place of Death: | Beersheba, Palestine |
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| Date of Death: | 31 October 1917 |
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| Age at Death: | 26 |
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| Year of Death: | 1917 |
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| Cause of Death: | Killed in action |
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| Cemetery Name: | Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel |
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| Grave Reference: | D.9. |
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| Obituary: | "Lieutenant W. H. Johns, Auckland Mounted Rifles, killed in action at Beersheba, was a son of Mr. J. Johns, of Pukekohe. He was born and educated at Te Awamutu. He was a student at the Auckland Training College for some time, and at the time of his enlistment in the Main Body he was engaged in teaching at Te Awamutu. Lieutenant Johns went away as a trooper in the 4th Waikato Mounted Rifles. He was wounded at Gallipoli in August, 1915, and was mentioned in despatches for the excellence of his work on that occasion. He was invalided home, and before returning to the front gained his commission as a second-lieutenant. He left on this occasion as a machine-gun officer. He was prominent in hockey circles, and had represented the Auckland Province and Waipa. He was married shortly before leaving for the front on the second occasion. A younger brother was wounded in Flanders recently. Another brother is at present in camp with a reinforcement draft." (Auckland Weekly News, 15 November 1917, p. 21) |
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| Biographical Notes: | - Son of John and Martha Johns, 20 Pine Street, Dominion Road, Auckland.
- Returned to the front as Second Lieutenant with the 20th reinforcements, New Zealand Mounted Rifles, on SS Waihora, 5 December 1916. Arrived at Suez, Egypt, on 13 January 1917.
- Gained commission as Second Lieutenant on 31 May 1916. (Studholme 1928)
- Promoted to Lieutenant on 23 April 1917. (Studholme 1928)
- The Auckland Museum Library's manuscripts collection contains five letters written by Johns to his niece Iris, covering a period from 29 March 1915 to 27 September 1917. [Ref. MS 1392]
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| Description of Image: | Portrait, Auckland Weekly News, 1917. |
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| Further References: | - Auckland War Memorial Museum, Scars on the Heart WW I, 'Remember' display, contains a framed memorial plaque containing a photograph of William Henwood Johns.
- Studholme, J., 1928, Record of personal services during the war of officers, nurses, and first-class warrant officers; and other facts relating to the N.Z.E.F., Government Printer, Wellington, 169.
- Search http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz for information about this person's Military Personnel File. Use the Simple Search option.
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| Additional Information: | - It was decided during World War I that all next-of-kin of service personnel who lost their lives as a result of the war would be presented with a memorial plaque and commemorative scroll from the King and country. The plaques were cast in bronze and were approximately five inches (125 mm) in diameter.
- On the plaque itself no rank was recorded as the intention was to show equality in their sacrifice. The troops referred to them as 'The Dead Man's Penny'. A scroll was sent at the same time. (Source: http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-medals/dead-penny.htm)
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| Sources Used: | - Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume I. Wellington: Govt. Printer, 1914-1919
- Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington: Govt. Printer, 1917
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