Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James Graham Hunter was born in April 1888 in Glasgow, Scotland, the 4th of nine children of Reverend Archibald and Elizabeth Hunter.  James shares his middle name with his father and was the 3rd eldest of seven boys.  He had two sisters, one older and one younger.

He attended the Overnewton Public School in Glasgow and later served 4 years as a reservist with the Territorial Force in the 6th Highland Light Infantry.  Around the age of 20 he left Scotland and sailed to Australia to take up an appointment with the Australian Methodist Church as a home missionary.  He served in that roll for 5 years at the Mitchell Methodist Church in Queensland then became a theological student at King’s College in Brisbane.  While doing his studies he assisted the Reverend G F Rowe at the Albert Street Methodist Church in Brisbane. 

When war broke out James enlisted with the AIF at Brisbane aged 26.  His rank was a Private, his service number 360 and his unit the 9th Infantry Battalion, B Company.  He’s described as being 5ft 5ins tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and reddish hair. 

After completing his training James embarked from Brisbane on the 24th September 1914 on the HMAT Omrah with 32 Officers and 999 other ranks.  The ship stopped at Melbourne, Albany, Colombo, Port Said and arrived at Alexandria, Egypt, where he disembarked on the 6th December.  From there he proceeded to Mena Camp west of Cairo.  During the sea journey he was promoted to Lance Corporal and then to Corporal on the 22nd January 1915.  After completing their training the battalion proceeded to Alexandria on the 1st March.  There they embarked on the HMT Ionian, disembarking the following day at Lemnos Island.  Here they undertook preparations over the following month for an invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula.  They embarked from Lemnos Island for Gallipoli on the 8th April on the HMT Malda but remained in Mudros Bay till the 24th April when Companies A and B, including James, transferred to the HMS Queen, one of the three British warships used to transport the Australian troops for the invasion.  The following transcript describes in detail the landing at Gallipoli.

“In the early hours of the 25th April, twelve rowing boats were brought alongside each of the three battleships ‘Queen’, ‘Prince of Wales’ and ‘London’ transporting the Australian troops.  These were made up into four tows of three boats, each being towed by one of the warships small steamboats.  At 3.30am the battleships stopped, and the order was given to the troops to go ahead and land.  At 4.30am on Sunday 25th April, half an hour before the opening of the British bombardment of Cape Helles, the Australian 9th, 10th & 11th Battalions of 3rdBrigade landed at Ari Burnu, about a mile north of their intended destination of Gaba Tepe.  As Charles Bean, the official historian described, the bullets were striking sparks out of the shingle as the first boats reached the shore.  The unfamiliar terrain was in parts steep and scrubby, covered by gorse like vegetation hindering the progress off the beach.  The British were landing to the south at Helles, while the French targeted the eastern side of the Dardanelles strait at Kum Kale as a diversion to the main attack.  By the end of the day strong Turkish counter attacks confined the British to two small pockets of land on the tip of the peninsula at Cape Helles and the Anzacs to a strip of rugged country inland of Ari Burnu point (Anzac Cove).  Both sides experienced heavy casualties.  The French successfully got ashore at Kum Kale.” https://anzac-22nd-battalion.com/aif-divisions-1915/

The defended locality at Gaba Tepe had been one of the objectives of the 9th Infantry Battalion on the 25th April but, because of the displacement of the landing area to the north, it had not been taken.

The following is an extract from the 9th Battalion War Diaries for the period of the 24th to the 27th April 1915.

24-25 April 1915

Transferred A & B Companies & Headquarters Staff to “Queen” 11am.  Steamed slowly to Gaba Tepe.  C & D Companied travelled per transport Malda and transferred to destroyer enroute.  The “Queen” arrived off Gaba Tepe at midnight and transferred into lifeboats. 

1am 25th.  The 3rd Brigade supplied the coveting party which consisted of two Companies from each Battalion.  The remaining two Companies landed half an hour after the covering and were to act as supports.  It was decided to land just north of Gaba Tepe.  A Company on the right flank.  Packs were to be discarded and a trench occupied.  A & B Companies were to take the trench and afterwards attack a battery of guns at Gaba Tepe.  The lifeboats towed by a pinnace moved slowly towards the shore and it was apparent that the Naval people had missed their direction.  It was discovered afterwards that we were two miles north of the position intended.  The landing was effected under rifle fire and the troops pressed forward.  The enemy gave way and the advance continued.  Turkish reinforcements saved the rush and our troops were driven back and hastily entrenched on a commanding position.  Turks attacked again about midnight but were repulsed.  The Australians displayed great bravery an held on tenaciously.  False orders were issued by German Officers.  Attempts were made to reorganise the 3rd Brigade.  100 men and 7 Officers mustered.  The Battalion detailed at dusk as covering party for the troops entrenching.  Major J C Robertson; Captains Milne, Jackson, Ryder, Fisher, Melbourne; Lieutenants Chambers, Paterson, Jones, Boase wounded.  Major S B Robertson, Lieutenants J A Roberts, Haymen, Costin and Rigby killed. 

26 April 1915

Whole Division considerably minced, under heavy rifle and shell fire all day and night, all busy digging in under fire.  Further attempts to reorganise Battalion.  About 1,000 3rd Brigade collected remained above beach till 1pm.  Battalion detailed as No. 2 Section of Defence under Colonel MacLagan.  Lieutenant Ker wounded. 

27 April 1915

Strong attack by Turks at 10.30 repulsed. 

Two months later on the 28th June 1915, the 9th Battalion was involved in an attack on the enemy that would be very costly to B Company, which James was part of.  The following is an extract from the 9th Battalion War Diary for the 28th June 1915. 

“Operation Order No.6 by Brigadier Colonel Sinclair MacLagan detailed 9th Battalion to provide two Companies to attack (1) Sniper’s Ridge (2) Razor Back Ridge.  C Company moved out of 12th Battalion trenches and B Company debouched from the dump in front of 12th Battalion.  The enemy trenches about 300 yards from the exits.  Major Walsh commanded B Company and Captain Young, C Company.  The attack was made with the object of co-operating with the Southern Force and preventing the enemy from sending reinforcements down.  The attack of B Company was well carried out.  C Company was under heavy fire from both flanks, both shrapnel and machine guns.  This attack was not well carried out and a retirement took place without orders from the Company Commander.  The attack commenced at 1pm and B Company was ordered to retire at 2.50pm.  The casualties were heavy.  No. 1318 Private L H Bailey and No. 179 Private G R Gray mentioned in report for distinguished conduct. 

Casualties

B Company…12 killed, 46 wounded, 7 missing            C Company…9 killed, 16 wounded, 15 missing            TOTAL…21 killed, 62 wounded, 22 missing                                                                                             No. 551 Private J Holloway and No. 1533 Private J Dowd reported on for meritorious service.  Major Walsh and Captain L Jones wounded, the latter seriously.  Lieutenant Jordan missing.  The missing in B Company are almost certain to be killed.  It is possible that of the 15 missing in C Company, the party under Lieutenant Jordan, may be prisoners”. 

One of the 12 killed in B Company was James.  He suffered a fatal wound to the head and was buried at Shell Green Cemetery on the Gallipoli Peninsula.  He was 27 years old.  His younger brother Archibald also served in WW1 with the British Army in the 5th Cameron Highlanders.  He was ranked a Major and was awarded the Military Cross.  He was a military passenger on board the RMS Leinster which was sunk by torpedoes in the Irish Sea, 16 miles east of Dublin, on the 10th October 1918.  He was aged 29. 

James’ name appears on the East Brisbane War Memorial, the Mitchell War Memorial, the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour and the King’s College Roll of Honour Board.  There is a separate memorial at King’s College in memory of the three men from the College who made the ultimate sacrifice during WW1.  James was the first of the three to fall in 1915 with Trevor Francis, a recipient of the Military Cross, falling in 1917 at Bapaume and then Arthur Wheatley fell on Anzac Day 1918 at Meteren, France.  An individual memorial in honour of James was erected by the congregation in the Mitchell Methodist Church where he first commenced his service for Australia as a home missionary.   

James Graham Hunter was awarded for service in WW1 the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and posthumously, the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.

Respectfully submitted by Sue Smith 8th July 2021