John Frederick Vock was born on 27 September 1919 in Mt Perry, Queensland, Australia as the third child of William Vock and Martha (Wilhelmina) Auguste Ehlert. He had three siblings, namely: Ernest (Ernie) William, Ellen Augusta, and Beryl May.

John worked in a dairy before joining the army in 1939.

John was a Private - 2/9th Australian Infantry Battalion between 27 September 1939 and 23 November 1945. Johns’ military serial number was QX3038.

He served in Papua New Guinea, and was a Rat of Tobruk. He was nominated for promotion many times but he refused because he didn’t want to be a higher rank then the people he fought alongside. In the 6 years he served the army he only had 3 months leave. After the war ended he had progressively bad hearing due to being a mortar man. His job was to launch explosives into the enemy trenches to clear them out and drive the enemy into the open or take out important buildings.

After leaving the army, John moved to Forestree before moving to Mackay to work at a sugar mill.

When he was 38, John married Dorothy Florence Jones on 16 May 1958 in Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

John Frederick Vock and Dorothy Florence Jones had the following children:

1. Brett Vock

2. Peter Vock was born on 21 May 1962.

John died in 2000 in Queensland, Australia, age 80, due to asbestos inhalation amongst numerous other things.

External Links:

IN THE COURTS 38 traffic hearings - Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld. : 1906 - 1954) Tuesday 25 November 1952 p 8 Article

John Frederick Vock, mill employee, of North Eton, was fined £1/10/- and 6/costs on a charge of having

parked his car on a bus stand. Vock did not appear and the case was heard ex parte. In evidence Constable O. E. Pitt said on September 13 he had seen a car parked on the Wood-street bus stand.

Later he spoke to Vock, who said he did not know there was a bus stand there.

Mackay History - Mackay Rats of Tobruk Memorial

World War Two Nominal Roll website - John Frederick Vock

Hyrulebiographies - Grandfather

Wikipedia - The Rats of Tobruk

Know more than me about John, email me here