HANNAH, James George
| Service Number: | 3771 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 46th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Dean, Victoria, Australia, 1891 |
| Home Town: | Brown Hill, Ballarat North, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Wattle Flat State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 7 June 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bungaree Shire Roll of Honor, Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3771, 14th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 3771, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 3771, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 7 Jun 1917: | Involvement Private, 3771, 46th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3771 awm_unit: 46th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-06-07 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
James George Hannah, born at Dean near Ballarat, Victoria, attended the Wattle Flat State School. He enlisted in July 1915 along with his younger brother Samuel Robert Hannah. James gave his age as 33 years; Samuel was only 18 years old. Although they left Australia with separate units they were both posted to the 46th Battalion whilst in Egypt during March 1916. It was quite common for Australians to "claim" their brothers, that is, both move to the same Battalion, for at this time as thousands of Australians were in Egypt in early 1916. The whole AIF was re-organised into 4 Divisions and many men took the opportunity to move to units with their mates or brothers. The Hannah brothers arrived in France together with the 46th Battalion in June 1916. James was badly wounded in the left arm at Pozieres and was evacuated to England. He did not return to France until February 1917. The younger brother Samuel was made a Lance Corporal in March 1917 and the brothers then fought at Bullecourt where this time Samuel was wounded, also in the left arm.
Samuel was back with the 46th Battalion at the beginning of the Battle of Messines. James was reported as missing and killed in action on the 7 June 1917; he remains missing to this day.
Samuel was mortally wounded the same day, with shrapnel wounds to the jaw, head and back. Samuel was evacuated from the battlefield to just over the border into France but died of wounds in a Casualty Station the next day, 8 June 1917, and was buried in the Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord), France.
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