MS2044
HUNT, James
| Service Number: | 3571 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 May 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sligo, Ireland, 1873 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Fisherman |
| Died: | Drowned, Renmark, South Australia, 12 January 1925 |
| Cemetery: |
Renmark Old Cemetery, South Australia Section C, Plot 70 |
| Memorials: | Men from Renmark and District Roll of Honor Boards (4) |
World War 1 Service
| 9 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 3571, 32nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 3571, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 3571, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide | |
| 24 Aug 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, 3571, 32nd Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour James Hunt's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Lemar
James HUNT was born in Sligo, Ireland in 1873 to Mary HUNT (father not known).
On enlistment, he lied about his age. He claimed he was 43 at enlistment when in fact he was 50. It is believed he was born in the month of April 1873.
He never married and had no known relatives in Australia.
There was no next of kin or address listed on his attestment papers.
On his hospital admission form dated 16.05.1917 in France, it is recorded his next of kin is his mother Mary STREET or similar of Stirling, Scotland.
James drowned in the River Murray on 12.01.1925.
The Register 14.01.1925
A MISSING FISHERMAN.
RENMARK, January 13.— James Hunt, a fisherman of near Renmark, left here for his camp last, night. This morning, Frederick Donaldson found Hunt's boat with the outboard motor attached, drifting about two miles, distant- A search is being made for the missing man.
Chronicle 17.01.1925
A FISHERMAN MISSING.
Renmark. — Mr. James Hunt, a fisherman, Nis missing. He left the town in his outboard motor boat about6 p.m. on Monday. His intention was to return' to his camp. He was last seen about a mile up stream. The boat, with provisions, was found drifting this morning, and his dog came to the camp of a friend on Ral Ral Creek-. Mr.Hunt had been rescued from the river several times in the past, and had fallen in just prior to getting away from this town yesterday.
The Register 17.01.1925
A FISHERMAN'S DEATH.
RENMARK, January 18.— The body of James Hunt, a fisherman, who had been missing, was found floating and caught in a snag yesterday afternoon, near the bank of. the river opposite Mr. A. Mitchell's residence, by Constable Blackmore. The deceased was a native of Drumleaf, Ireland, and was 59 years of age. The Cor ner (Mr. E. E. Jarrett) has deemed an inquest unnecessary.
Murray Pioneer 23.01.1925
THE LATE JAMES HUNT Body Found at Ral Ral Creek
A gentleman who has resided on the river for 27 years stated on Friday, when he learned that the body of James Hunt had been found the day before that during the whole of this period nearly all the cases of drowning in the river from boats or steamers that he had heard of could be at tributed to drink.
Mr. Hunt's body was found by the police near the mouth of the Ral Ral Creek. It was caught on a snag and lightly held. There was little on the corpse, which was taken to the Morgue and buried on Friday. Hunt was a good man and liked by all his mates. It is said that his dog has evinced great sorrow and is continually on the look out for its late master.
A SOLDIER'S FUNERAL.
There appears to have been some little difficulty in obtaining the services of a clergyman to bury poor James Hunt on Friday last. Hunt was alleged to be a Roman Catholic, and the police, who had taken charge of the body and placed it in the morgue at the rear of the police station, informed the undertaker of this fact. The undertaker states that he interviewed the local Priest and told nun that it was presumed Hunt was a member of his denomination and asked if he, the Priest, would officiate at the burial service. The clergyman however said that he did not know Hunt, he had not attended the local church, and therefore he was sorry not to be able to
comply with the undertaker's request. It transpires that there have been two similar cases recently. However, a brother digger in the person of the Rev. D'-Arcy Dickson(Methodist) read the last prayers over the old soldier. The little funeral was a quiet one. The pall bearers were returned soldiers R. P. James, C. Khan, Leo Dyer and another gentleman.
Military
James joined the AIF on 09.05.1916 and was allocated service number 3571. He was attached to the 8th reinforcements of the 32nd Battalion.
He disembarked in England on 30.09.1916 and arrived in France on 06.12.1916. He was at Montauban, France and spent some 26 days in the trenches near Trones Wood before he was evacuated to England with rheumatism and it was at this time it was discovered he was over age. He was invalided home aboard the A33 with a notification of ‘for home service-overage’. He was discharged as medically unfit.
He was granted a military pension from 25.08.1917 of 1 pound, 10 shillings per fortnight.
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