Cenotaph here
~Family Connections~
Parents:--- Son of Reverend John Garrard Raws and Mary Jane Raws nee Lennon, 76 Cheltenham Street, Malvern, South Australia.
Brother:--- Lieutenant Robert Goldthorp "Goldy" Raws, 23rd Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF. Killed in Action on 28th July 1916 at Pozieres, Somme Sector, France.
~Second Lieutenant John Alexander RAWS, Australian Imperial Force, AIF, The Great War~
Religion:--- Church of England
Age on arrival in Australia:--- 12 years. Family migrated to South Australia in 1895.
Education:--- Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, South Australia.
Civil employment:--- Journalist
Home Address:--- 43 Spring Street, Melbourne, Victoria.
Home Town:--- Elsternwick, Glen Eira, Victoria
Marital status:--- Single
Next of kin:--- Father, Rev J G Raws, Cheltenham Street, Malvern, Adelaide, South Australia.
Attested into AIF:--- 24th July 1915 in Melbourne, Victoria.
Age on enlistment:--- 31 years and 10 months.
Rank on enlistment:--- Second Lieutenant
Final Unit:--- 23rd Australian Infantry Battalion, AIF.
Embarked from:--- Melbourne, Victoria, aboard HMAT RMS Orontes, 29th March 1916.
Final Rank:--- Second Lieutenant
Fate:--- Killed in Action on 22nd August 1916 at Mouquet Farm, Pozieres, Somme Sector, France.
Burial:--- No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Commemorated:--- Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France)
War service:--- Western Front
Medals:--- British War Medal, Victory Medal
Memorials:--- Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour,
Other Bio details:---John Alexander "Alec" Raws was the son of a vicar, the Reverend G J Raws of 'Gwenholme' No 76 Cheltenham St in Malvern, a southern suburb of Adelaide. He and his brother Robert (Goldy) had been born in the United Kingdom in 1883 and 1886 respectively and after emigrating to Australia with the family in 1894, the boys had been educated at Adelaide's Prince Alfred College.
Both brothers later moved to Melbourne; "Alec" was a journalist and his brother was a warehouseman. He and his brother both enlisted in Melbourne. It appears that "Goldy" was the first to enlist although there is no enlistment date recorded, but he embarked in May 1915. John enlisted in June 1915 but did not embark until March 1916. Because they enlisted in Melbourne, neither appear on the Adelaide National War Memorial. "Alec's" brother, Robert "Goldy" Goldthorpe RAWS, served in the 22nd Battalion.
"Alec's" Battalion was part of the 2nd Division and after a period in the line near Armentieres the 1st 2nd and 4th Divisions moved south to the Somme during June / July of 1916. The AIF's contribution began on 23rd July at Pozieres.
Over the next five weeks, the AIF would suffer over 23,000 casualties, of whom over 5,000 were killed. Both of the Raws brothers were among the dead; "Goldy" was killed in action on 28 July near Pozieres, and "Alec" on 23 August near Mouquet Farm.
"Alec" was a journalist, which is reflected in his writing, much of which has survived his brief but violent combat experience - about one month in all. His is among the most vivid of accounts of the fighting at Pozieres and Mouquet farm, and all the while it is laced with a sense of impending doom.