MATHERS, James Ewart
| Service Number: | 349 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 28th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Lincoln, England., 1891 |
| Home Town: | Fremantle, Fremantle, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Died of wounds at King George Hospital, United Kingdom, Lambeth, South London, United Kingdom, 12 October 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Lincoln (Canwick Road) Cemetery, Lincolnshire, England D. 1775. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Fremantle Fallen Sailors & Soldiers Memorial, Fremantle St John's Memorial Choir Vestry and Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 349, 28th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 349, 28th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Fremantle |
Help us honour James Ewart Mathers's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
Births Mar 1891 Mathers James Ewart Lincoln 7a 514
Deaths Dec 1916 Mathers James 25 Lambeth 1d 281
He was the son of James and Martha Mathers of 15 Camden Street, Sneinton Road, Nottingham.
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 12th October…… James Ewart Mathers was born in parish of St. Andrews, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England in 1891.
His mother – Martha Mathers died in 1899 in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.
According to information provided by his father for the Roll of Honour – James Ewart Mathers came to Australia when he was aged 19 years.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 5th March, 1915 as a 24 year old, single, Labourer from Suffolk Street, Fremantle, Western Australia. James Ewart Mathers stated on his Attestation Papers that he had been an Apprentice as an Iron Moulder for 12 months with Ruston & Proctor.
Private James Ewart Mathers, Service number 349, embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia on HMAT Ascanius (A11) on 9th June, 1915 with the 7th Infantry Brigade, 28th Infantry Battalion “B” Company.
On 4th September, 1915 Private Mathers embarked from Alexandria with 28th Battalion on H. T. Ivernia for Gallipoli. He disembarked at Alexandria on 10th January, 1916 from Mudros (after evacuation of Gallipoli).
He proceeded to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) from Alexandria on 16th March, 1916 & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 21st March, 1916.
Private James Ewart Mathers was wounded in action in France on 29th July, 1916. He was admitted to No. 3 Casualty Clearing Station on 30th July, 1916 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to Head. He was transferred & admitted to 13th General Hospital at Boulogne, France on 31st July, 1916 with Skull fracture & hands. Private Mathers embarked for England on 13th August, 1916 on Hospital Ship Jan Brydel.
On 16th August, 1916 Private Mathers was admitted to King George Hospital, Stamford Street, London, England seriously ill with G.S.W. Head – severe. He was reported to be “doing very well” on 23rd September, 1916.
His sister – Mrs N. Wright, Sunnyhurst, Scorer Street, W. Lincoln wrote to Brigadier-General V.C.M. Sebllieiur (?), Commandant, Australian Imperial Force, London, on 2nd October, 1916 regarding Private Mathers, No. 349, 28th Battalion, 7th Australian Infantry Brigade. In her letter she requested that her brother be moved to a hospital near her before he was probably going to be sent back to Australia for his discharge.
Major K. Stuart Cross, D.M.S., A.I.F. wrote to D.D.M.S. (Deputy Director of Medical Services), London Command on 6th October, 1916, in regards to No. 349 Private Mathers, 28th Battalion, A.I.F., with the following: “I beg to request that, if convenient, you will take the necessary steps for the transfer of the above named man from The King George Hospital, Waterloo Road to 4th Northern General Hospital, Lincoln in order to be near his relatives.”
The Surgeon-General, D.M.S., A.I.F., wrote to Mrs N. Wright, Sunnyhurst, Scorer Street, W. Lincoln, on 6th October, 1916: “I am in receipt of your letter of the 2nd instant regarding your brother, and beg to inform you that his name is not down for return to Australia. I trust that it will be unnecessary to send him back, but that he will recover his health in this country, and spend his furlough with you. Meanwhile I shall try and arrange for his transfer from The King George Hospital to the 4th Northern General Hospital, Lincoln, in order to be near you.”
Private James Ewart Mathers died on 12th October, 1916 at King George Hospital, Stamford Street, London, England from wounds received in action in France – G.S.W. to Head.
He was buried in Canwick Road Cemetery, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England – Plot number D. 1775 and now has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/canwick-road.html
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