Temporary Sergeant: 1453 / 7260 Charles John JAMES
3rd - 63rd - 36th - 35th BATTALION AIF
Born: 26th July 1891. Barcaldine, Queensland, Australia.
Married: 21st March 1934. Queensland, Australia.
Wife: Jessie Baird James. nee: Fullerton. (1899-19..)
Died: 1965. Queensland, Australia.
Father: Charles John James. (1856–1930)
Mother: Annie James. nee: Scott. (1857-1938)
INFORMATION
No.1453 Charles John JAMES was a 23 year old Painter from Barcaldine in Queensland when he enlisted in the AIF on the 14th of January 1915. He embarked from Australia as a member of the 2nd Reinforcements to the 3rd Battalion on board the (A48)’ Seang Bee’, which departed on the 11th of February 1915. He then joined the 3rd Battalion at GALLIPOLI.
He was WOUNDED-IN-ACTION (Bullet Wound right arm - compound fracture of upper humerus), evacuated from the Peninsula, and then admitted to the Military Hospital at Valletta in Malta, on the 24th of May 1915. On the 7th of June 1915 he was transferred to hospital in England, and on the 7th of November 1915 was returned to Australia.
On the 2nd of January 1916 he Re-Attested and was allocated the new Regimental-Number of 7260. He then embarked on the 10th of February as a member of the 24th Reinforcements to the 2nd Battalion, departing from Sydney on board the RMS ‘Osterley’ and arriving at Plymouth in England on the 11th of April. On arrival he marched in to the 1st Training-Battalion.
On the 28th of April 1916 he was transferred to the 63rd Battalion, then being raised at Windmill Hill, at Perham Downs in England. (Note - The Unit was not to see overseas service and was to be disbanded later that year).
On the 23rd of August 1917 he deployed across to France, marching in to the 3rd Australian Division Base Depot at Rouelles. On the 31st he marched out to the front and was taken-on-strength by the 36th Battalion (Carmichael’s Thousand / Rifle Club’s Thousand) on the 1st of September 1917.
He was granted English Leave for the period 23rd of February 1918 till 8th of March 1918.
He was then with the 36th Battalion in late March when the 9th Brigade was rushed south to the Somme, due to a German Advance (Operation Michael), and was to be used as a mobile force wherever the front line required strengthening. He was with the Battalion for the ‘’1st Battle of Villers-Bretonneux’’ on the 4th of April 1918, and for the subsequent Defence of the village, until the 9th Brigade was relieved on the 18th.
Due to the severe losses suffered by the 9th Brigade at Villers-Bretonneux, the decision was taken to disband the 36th Battalion in order to use its men to bring the other three Battalions closer to full strength again. On the 30th of April 1918 No.7260 Charles John JAMES was one of those men transferred to the 33rd BATTALION (New England’s Own).
Although taken-on-strength by the 33rd Battalion, he was detached for duty with the HQ 9th Brigade, and was with them until the Armistice.
On the 8th of January 1919 the detachment finished and he was transferred to the 35th BATTALION (Newcastle’s Own).On the 15th of March 1919 he was promoted to the rank of Temporary- Corporal.
He enjoyed some English Leave from the 23rd of February till the 8th of March 1919, and shortly after his return was promoted to the rank of Temporary-Sergeant.
He returned to Australia aboard the ‘Themistocles’ in June 1919 and was discharged from the AIF on the 6th of March 1920.
He died in Queensland in 1965.
(Bill Durrant: August 2018)
Enlisted on the 14th of January 1915 and served with the 3rd Battalion at Gallipoli, was Wounded and was returned to Australia, via England.
He re-attested on the 2nd of January 1917 and then embarked again with the 24th Reinforcements to the 2nd Battalion. In England he was transferred to the 63rd Battalion and then the 36th Battalion.
When the 36th was disbanded he was taken-on-strength by the 33rd BATTALION. He was detached for duty with the 9th Brigade HQ and was transferred to the 35th Battalion after the detachment was completed.
He returned to Australia in June 1919 and was discharged in 1920.
(Photograph courtesy of the John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland)
© Commonwealth of Australia (National Archives of Australia)
Under Construction: 27/08/2018-30/01/2022.
Thank you for this article honest and accurate. Charles John James had a cousin Henry Francis James also from Barcaldine who served in WW1. Service number was 2760 and saw service in both Gallipoli and France after Gallipoli he was transferred to the 11thFAB. Both Henry and Charles were the second sons of two brothers who operated the Western Champion Newspaper in Barcaldine.
Thank you Peter, I hope not to add information that hasn’t been supported or is not accurate. As these profiles are ongoing, there is always information that comes to hand to update the research that I have started.
Dave H