1917 - 2nd Lt Minnery

1917 - 2nd Lt Minnery

In January 1917 John was sent to Bouchon Snipers School which had been formed only 9 months earlier.  

The course was 14 days long with many of those days spent on the art of concealment including using the Ghillie Suit, pictured below

The intention of the school was to turn out both Snipers and soldiers who could train other men of their regiment in the art of sniping and concealment. 

Throughout the remainder of his military career John would continue to shoot in Army competitions in Africa, England and Singapore.  Indeed, he also used those same skills as a Hunter and then latterly as a Game Ranger  in Tanganyika, Africa

On February 4th 1917 in the Trenches at Clery-sur-Somme,  John was wounded for a third time.  This time in his forearm by a German bullet.   

The wound was more severe this time, requiring initially a stay of two weeks in Hospital in France before he was shipped from Le Havre to Southampton. 

John sailed from France on February 19th 1917 on the Hospital Ship Western Australia not realising that it was the last time he would see France and the 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.  

When he landed in England he was transported to Birmingham No 1 Military hospital where he spent one more week in care before being granted home leave of 4 weeks.

After his leave, John spent 6 weeks in the Argylls Reserve Battalion in Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh awaiting his next posting.    

He had successfully applied for a transfer to the newly formed 6th Kings African Rifles in Tanganyika (what is now Tanzania and Kenya).    

He sailed from the UK on June 29th 1917 arriving in Dar es Salaam 6 weeks later where he would serve out the remainder of the war as a 2nd Lt with the Kings African Rifles