John Simister “Jack” Deam, the son of John and Sarah (nee Kerton), was born in Bairnsdale in 1892. He enlisted on 2 August 1915 and joined the 6th Infantry and left Melbourne at the end of the year. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal and arrived in France in April 1916. In order to be with mates on the firing line he relinquished the position and was not long in action before being wounded. Initially he was incapacitated with a leg injury for just over a week in May then on 15 August he was admitted to the field clearing station with multiple gunshot wounds and a compound fracture of the upper leg. He died the same day and was buried at Puchvillers British Cemetery. One of his mates commented at the time that we lost many a good man on August 15 and 16, but Jack, big framed, big hearted and manly, is the one I miss most. He was a man who would never shirk a duty, no matter what risks were involved. Jack was an accountant at the Every Week office in Bairnsdale and for the few years immediately before the war had been an active member of the Bairnsdale Rowing Club. He was just 23 years old. His younger brother, William Henry also served and was killed in action in 1918 in France. They were both cousins of William Deam, who was also a member of the rowing club and who also died. 

4167 Corporal John Simister Deam Jnr – Bairnsdale Died of wounds 15 August 1916

….. a man who would never shirk a duty, no matter what the risk