Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James was born in 1898, to Fanny Hall. Her mother died the same year as James was born and at that time Fanny also began raising her youngest brother George who was just a few years older than James. George was also killed in action later in the war. James enlisted in 1915 and was assigned to the 53rd Battalion and sent to France. He saw action for the first time on 19th July 1916 at the battle of Fromelles where he was killed. Along with most of the 5533 Australian soldiers killed that day, his body was never identified and he is possibly buried along with others in unmarked graves at VC Corner in Fromelles. VC Corner is the only Western Front Cemetery without grave markers because so many bodies could not be identified.
VC Corner is unique as it is the only all-Australian cemetery on the Western Front. Located in the village of Fromelles 16 kilometres west of Lillie, the cemetery contains nearly 400 unidentified bodies from the Battle of Fromelles which occurred on the 19th and 20th of July, 1916. Panels commemorating the missing are inscribed with the names of those soldiers who died during this misguided attack.
Fanny never really came to terms with her son’s death and letters on his file indicate she continued to search for him in later years.
Hall, James Number: 3318 Rank: Private [Pte] Unit: 53rd Bn Service: Army Conflict: 1914-1918 Date of Death: 19/07/1916 Place of Death: Cause of Death: Killed in action Memorial Panel: 157 Cemetery or Memorial Details: 7 V C Corner Australian Cemetery France Next Of Kin: Place Of Enlistment: Woolloomoolloo, NSW Native Place: Sydney Notes: HALL, Pte. James, 5318. 53rd Bn. Killed in action 19th July, 1916. Age 19. Son of Thomas and Fanny McCann, of 510, Bourke St.,Surry Hills, New South Wales. Native of Sydney. 8.
Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army
James has not been identified among the remains discovered in 2008 of Australian and British soldiers buried by Germans at Pheasant Wood, Fromelles. It is believed it is unlikely that James is in this group as his dog-tag was handed in by an Australian officer. Unfortunately that officer was himself killed prior to any record being made of how he obtained them.