Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

DOUST, James Alfred (1894-1979)

28th Battalion, 7th Brigade, New Zealand and Australian Division (Gallipoli) and 2nd Division (France)

James Alfred Doust was born on 8 August 1894 in Esperance, Western Australia, the sixth of twelve children of George William Doust and Catherine (Kate) Griffin. He worked as a miner when he enlisted in the AIF on 25 February 1915 initially as a member of the 10th Infantry Battalion, but he was later assigned to the 28th Battalion. Raised at Blackboy Camp in the Perth Hills on 16 April 1915, the 28th Battalion mainly consisted of recruits previously earmarked for the 24th Battalion, which was instead being raised in Victoria. Jim embarked for the Middle East on the troopship Ascanius from Fremantle on 29 June 1915. After two months of training in Egypt, Jim’s battalion landed at Gallipoli on 10 September where the 7th Brigade reinforced the New Zealand and Australian Division.

On 23 September Jim was admitted to the 13th Casualty Clearing Station with Tonsilitis. A contagious condition that could not be allowed to remain in the dugouts of Gallipoli. He was transported by barge to Mudros on the Greek island of Lemnos where he was admitted to the Hospital Ship Grampian and on 11 October was admitted to the 2nd Southern General Hospital in the Great Hall at the University of Birmingham in Bristol. He returned to duty on 15 January 1916 where the 28th Battalion was resting at the Tel-el-Kabir military camp.

It was the time spent in Egypt that caused problems for many of the soldiers waiting for further orders. On 16 March 1916, Jim was admitted to hospital at the 5th Australian Field Ambulance at Moascar before being transferred to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Abbassia. This hospital specialised in the treatment of venereal diseases. When the 28th Battalion embarked for France as part of the 2nd Division Jim was transferred to the British No 9 Stationary Hospital at Le Havre and he did not re-join his unit until 2 August 1916 where the 28th Battalion was still bogged down at Pozieres on the Somme Valley.

Moving to a quieter sector of the front in Belgium, the 2nd Division returned to the south in October, where the 28th Battalion took part in confused and costly fighting to the east of Flers.  On 1 November 1916, the 28th Battalion was in camp at Dernancourt near the town of Albert preparing to move into the front-line trenches.

According to the unit’s diary:

Nov 1st – In billets at Dernancourt.

Nov 2nd – Moved to camp at Montauban. Advance parties sent off to reconnoitre front line.

Nov 3rd – Took over front line from 53rd Battalion. Trenches in very bad order and mud from 12 inches to 3 feet deep. Location M24A Gudencourt Map.

Nov 4th – General work improving front trenches and preparing for attack of next day.

Nov 5th – The battalion in conjunction with 27th Battalion and companies of 25th and 26th Battalions who were on our right and the British division on our left made an attack on the German Line known as Gird Trench. Owing to the inaccuracy of our artillery fire, through lack of observation, the enemy were not kept down in their trenches by our barrage and the advancing troops were subjected to very heavy rifle and machine-gun fire which prevented them reaching the objective. Our losses in this attack were 1 officer killed … and 3 wounded… The casualties of other ranks were as follows. 58 killed, 166 wounded, 50 missing. 27 other ranks were evacuated to hospital suffering from effects of wet regions.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1342347

Jim Doust was among those wounded suffering from a severe gunshot wound to his left arm. Evacuated to Rouen Jim was transferred to the Hospital Ship Western Australia on 8 November and admitted once more to the 2nd Southern General Hospital at Bristol the next day. On 15 November Jim was transferred to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in the St Marylebone School in Southall Middlesex. Jim was transferred to the hospital at Wareham Camp in Dorset on 18 November for convalescence and eventually to the No 4 Command Depot at Weymouth. The depot’s primary aim was to receive and train men who would likely be fit for return to the front.

On 23 March 1917, Jim was transferred to the 70th Australian Infantry Battalion, a unit attached to the 16th Brigade, 7th Division. The unit had been raised in England only four days earlier but was disbanded on 16 September 1917 and Jim was transferred back to the 28th Battalion in France on 24 October.

For many of the major battles of 1917, the 28th found itself in supporting roles. At the second battle of Bullecourt, the 28th provided reinforcements who were nonetheless involved in heavy fighting. The 28th went on to attack as part of the third phase at the battle of Menin Road, capturing its objectives in seven minutes, and was in reserve during the capture of Broodseinde Ridge. The battalion was also in reserve for the battle of Poelcappelle on 9 October, but, with the attack floundering in the mud, it soon became embroiled in the fighting.

In April 1918, the 28th fought to turn back the German spring offensive and, from 8 August participated in the joint British and French offensive that marked the beginning of Germany's defeat. The Battalion was prominent in the fighting to secure crossing points over the Somme River around Peronne, and in the advance beyond Mont St Quentin. The 28th's last actions of the war were fought as part of the effort to break through the Beaurevoir Line in the first week of October 1918. The first members of the battalion began returning to Australia in January, and the 28th was disbanded in March 1919.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51468

Jim returned to Australia aboard the troopship Anchises arriving on 10 April 1919 and was discharged on 10 June 1919.

Jim married Elsie Hughes in Manjimup, Western Australia in 1921 but Elsie died on 8 March 1922, three days after the birth of their daughter Nora. Jim’s younger brother, George, also lived near Manjimup at the time and was married to Elsie’s sister, Esther. George and Esther would likely have taken on the responsibility for raising their niece.

Jim married Alice May Eleanor Mears (May) in Northam in 1926 and the couple had four children.

Jim worked for the Western Australian Railways from 1930 to 1953 and he enlisted for Home Defence during the Second World War with his brothers George, Harry, and Cecil. Alice passed away in Northam in 1975 at the age of 80 and Jim passed away in 1979 aged 85. Both are buried at Northam.