JAMES, Frederick
| Service Number: | 3347 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 2 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 14th Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | Sydney New South Wales, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Mascot, Botany Bay, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Fromelles, France, 20 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery IV A 7, Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery, Fromelles, Lille, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mascot War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 4th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 3347, 14th Machine Gun Company, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3347 awm_unit: 14 Machine Gun Company awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-20 |
Red Cross witness reports - death of PTE Frederick JAMES at Fromelles
Red Cross File No 1420704
Statements from witnesses:
2818 J. ELLIOTT, 56th Bn, 6 November 1916: 'He came from Bathurst, N.S. Wales, and was buried in a cemetery between Sailly and Estairs, Bac-St.-Maur Road. I saw his grave there.' (this seems incongruous given his remains were recovered from the Pheasant Wood site)
3330 Pte P.G. HUGHES (patient, 23rd General Hospital, Etaples), 6 November 1916: 'James was killed by shell: I did not see it happen but I saw him lying afterwards. I think he was buried at the top of Pinney's Avenue in the cemetery.'
2780 Lance Corporal B.H. PHILLIPS, 56th Bn, '[2705 C.W.] Johnston was a L.M. Gunner and James was in A. Company. We made an attack on the 19th and were driven back to our own lines, and these two and three others were killed by the same shell in our trench. James' head was practically blown off. I - a stretcher bearer - was on the next bay and was called in. James and Johnston were both taken out and buried in a Cemetery behind the lines. I think the cemetery at the mouth of "V.C. Avenue" near Fleurbaix. I knew Johnston very well indeed, but James not so well.'
1704 Pte G.W. MURRAY, 56th Bn (patient, 9th General Hospital, Rouen), 16 November 1916: 'I saw this man killed by a piece of shell hitting him on the head on the 20th July near Fromelles. I heard afterwards that he was buried.'
Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France.
Submitted 10 October 2018 by Steve Larkins
Biography contributed by Steve Larkins
Extracted from service record:
Embarked with 4th Battalion reinforcements `13 October 1915
Joined 4th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 21 January 1916.
Transferred to 56th Bn, and taken on strength, 16 February 1916.
Transferred to 14th Australian Machine Gun Company, 10 March 1916.
Detached to School of Instruction, 1 April 1916; rejoined unit from detachment, 23 April 1916.
Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 19 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 25 June 1916.
Killed in action, 20 July 1916 at Fromelles. See Red Cross reports.
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