From Bank NSW Honour Roll:

LIEUTENANT JOHN HARTNELL DOWNTON

(lit Field Company Engineers and lat Infantry Battalion, A.I.F.)

JOHN HARTNELL DOWNTON was born at Eden, N.S.W., on 6th December, 1893, the son of Mr. Carey Downton and Mrs. Jane Ann Downton. He went to school at Eden, and to the State Schools in Canterbury and Williamstown, Victoria. He joined the Bank of NSW at Eden on 18th July, 1910, and was afterwards at the Crookwell Branch. Thence he was transferred to the Head Office, and served with the Southern and Western Inspectors.

Hartnell Downton enlisted in the A.I.F. on 5th August, 1914, and sailed from Australia in October. He served in Egypt, Gallipoli, Sinai and France, and was wounded during one of the Somme battles in August, 1918. After three months in hospital he returned to Australia in 1919. He was at first a sapper in the First Field Company of Engineers; promoted to lance-corporal in September, 1914; corporal on 5th April, 1915; sergeant on 10th June, 1915; orderly-room sergeant in the following August, and staff-sergeant on 24th November, 1916. Hartnell Downton won his commission in August, 1917, being appointed Second-lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Battalion, and he was promoted to lieutenant on 24th February, 1918.