James John TWINING

TWINING, James John

Service Number: 483
Enlisted: 17 August 1914, Enlisted at Essendon, Victoria
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 7th Infantry Battalion
Born: Coventry, England, 1896
Home Town: Ascot Vale, Melbourne, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Carpenter
Died: Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 25 April 1915
Cemetery: No.2 Outpost Cemetery
Special Memorial, Grave 47 Headstone inscription reads: Their glory shall not be blotted out, No 2 Outpost Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Show Relationships

World War 1 Service

17 Aug 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 483, Enlisted at Essendon, Victoria
19 Oct 1914: Involvement Private, 483, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: ''
19 Oct 1914: Embarked Private, 483, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne

Passing of James Twining

I acknowledge that this 'account' was related to me when I was merely a child and therefore I have nothing but my vivid and unreliable memory to rely upon in respect of its accuracy or veracity.

My grandfather Stanley Twining 1906 (younger brother) related an account of the passing of his older brother James John Twining on the beaches at Gallipoli. I'm unsure if this was in the manner of a 'formal death message' to the family or during an acquaintanceship later in life. I mention this as my Grandfather indicated that he knew and had dealings with the Sergeant concerned later in post-war years, so it could well have been related in years after the Great War.

My grandfather told me that he was personally given this account by the Sergeant in charge of the twenty men (2 sections ?) who manned a rowed landing boat on the morning of the Gallipoli landings. The Sergeant stated that the twenty men battled through the surf and worked strenuously to 'man the oars' on what was an extremely heavy and stout wooden landing boat. As they approached the actual beach landing zone, James (Jim) who was nearer the front of the boat spoke up and pronounced loudly "Come on Lads, just two more pulls and we're at 'em."

At this time a Turkish heavy machine gun opened fire on their boat from the cliffs above and raked the boat with murderous fire. All twenty infantrymen were killed before they set foot on land. The Sergeant was the lone survivor and he was forced to take cover under the bodies of his dead men for hours as there was no other viable option.

My grandfather stated the 'Sergeant' was later promoted to officer rank and was by all accounts pretty much traumatised after his wartime experience.


Read more...
Showing 1 of 1 story

Biography contributed by Carol Foster

Son of James Joseph and Lucy Twining of 55 Munro Street, Ascot Vale, Victoria, later of Union Street, Brunswick, Victoria . Brother of Acton Fellows Twining, Stanley Frederick Twining, Nellie Lucy Twining and Joseph Leslie Twining

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal