World War I Commemorative Website

War Memorial Hall  c1929

Memorial Hall circa 1929
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John Hearn SNOWBALL

SNOWBALL

John Snowball was born on 21 August 1886 in Carlton, Victoria. His parents were Dr. William (MGS 1868-70) and Mary Sophia (née Burton) Snowball. He attended Scotch in 1898. He then went to Melbourne Grammar School from 1899 to 1904.

John was a bookkeeper when he enlisted on 13 October 1914 in Melbourne. He served in the 9th Australian Light Horse Regiment and 108th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery with the rank of Second Lieutenant. His Regimental Number was 491 (in AIF). His cousin and fellow Old Scotch Collegian John Iley Snowball also served in the AIF and was killed in 1918. John Hearn Snowball died on 15 September 1916 near Guillemont, France. He was 30 years of age.

Service record

John or ‘Jack’ Snowball enlisted in October 1914 as a private in the Light Horse. After sailing for Egypt with the unit in February 1915, he arrived at Gallipoli on 20 May 1915. He served there until 31 August, when he was evacuated with dysentery and taken to England. In November that year he obtained a commission as a Second Lieutenant with the Royal Field Artillery of the British Army and was discharged from the AIF on 21 November 1915. He was posted to the 108th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, reportedly to a trench mortar battery. He arrived in France in March 1916.

The Melbourne Grammar School book of war service suggests he was killed instantly on 14 September, though officially he died of wounds on 15 September 1916.

John Snowball is buried in the Guillemont Road Cemetery, Guillemont, France.

Sources:

  1. Australian War Memorial
  2. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  3. Kiddle, J.B., War Services of Old Melburnians 1914-1918, Council of the Old Melburnian Society, Melbourne, 1923
  4. Mishura Scotch Database. The school’s Archivist, Paul Mishura, identified Jack as a Scotch War death in 2004. His name was added to the Memorial Hall Honour Roll in 2015. 
  5. National Archives of Australia – B2455, SNOWBALL JOHN HEARN
  6. The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=282943

Page last updated: 11 November 2015