DENNIS, James
| Service Number: | 6986 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia, August 1886 |
| Home Town: | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia , 12 November 1980, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Wagga Wagga Victory Memorial Arch |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 6986, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 6986, 3rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Sydney |
Private James Leslie Dennis (6986) 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade
James Leslie Dennis was the 3rd of 10 children of William James Dennis and Mary Ann (nee McPaul) of Wagga Wagga.
James was born in August 1886 at Cootamundra, NSW.
Joined on 26.10.1916 at Albury, NSW. Aged 30 years 2 months
James sailed on the ‘Benalla’ on 9.11.1916. Disembarked 9.1.1917 at Devonport, UK.
Proceeded to France on 24.4.1917 ex 1st Training Battalion, Larkhill
6.12.1917 - St Omer, France
22.12.1917 - taken to hospital in France ICT Feet.
(ICT stands for 'inflamed connective tissue' a condition that occurred amongst soldiers in World War I due to all the marching done and then the poor weather conditions experienced for long periods in the trenches.)
10.1.1918 - Admitted Boulogne. 12.1.1918 Admitted NYD.
25.1.1918 returned to England HT 'Jan Breydel'. Admitted Royal Victoria at Netley, UK.
27.5.1918 transferred to Lord Derby War. at Warrington, UK
Diagnosed with dementia praecox on 20/7/1918. Discharged on 21.7.1918
James sailed for Australia with brother Samuel on 21 July 1918.
Married Julia Dennehy in 1929 at Chatswood.
Died 12 November 1980 at Greenacre, NSW.
Submitted 24 April 2022 by Kristine Howard
Biography contributed by Kristine Howard
James Leslie Dennis was born in Cootamundra, NSW in August 1886 to William Dennis and Mary Ann Dennis (nee McPaul). He had 4 brothers Charles Augustus, William Oswald, Samuel and Clarence George and 5 sisters Eliza, Mary, Florence, Ivy and Ella.
The family moved between Gundagai, Cootamundra, Wagga Wagga and Hillston finally settling in Wagga Wagga in 1896. Mary died in her birth year, Ella in September 1906 when she was only 6 years of age. James’ father died of a heart attack in October 1906 at 47 years of age. Oswald died tragically falling from a balcony in July 1915, he was 23 years of age.
James enlisted at Albury, NSW on 26 October 1916. Private James Dennis left Sydney on the ‘Benalla’ on 9 November 1916 with the 3rd Battalion, 23rd Reinforcement for Devonport. He left for France on 25 April 1917 and was hospitalized on 15 December 1917 and later moved to Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley, England. He returned to Australia with his brother Sam on 21 July 1918.
In 1939, he married Julia Dennehy at Chatswood in Sydney, NSW. James died at Greenacre in Sydney on 12 November 1980.
Note: I was told by an uncle that James had had one leg amputated sometime in the early 1950s.