MCGORRIN, James Frederick
| Service Number: | 33929 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 September 1916, Enlisted at Royal Agricultural Society Showground, Moore Park, Sydney. |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | Field Artillery Brigades |
| Born: | Tempe, New South Wales, Australia, 7 December 1895 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tramway Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 27 September 1918, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Loftus Sydney Tramways Depot Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Sep 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Driver, 33929, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , Enlisted at Royal Agricultural Society Showground, Moore Park, Sydney. | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May 1917: | Involvement Driver, 33929, Field Artillery Brigades, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: '' | |
| 11 May 1917: | Embarked Driver, 33929, Field Artillery Brigades, HMAT Shropshire, Melbourne |
Help us honour James Frederick McGorrin's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
James Frederick MCGORRIN (Service Number 33929) was born on 7th December 1895 at Tempe. He began work for the NSW Tramways as an ‘Office Lad’ in Sydney on 25th January 1911 when he was just 15-years-old. By July he was contributing to superannuation and in January 1912 transferred to the salaried staff as a junior clerk. It was not until 7th December 1916, his 21st birthday, that his role was designated ‘Clerk’ but his pay rate had been climbing significantly from £30 per annum in 1912 to £145 per annum in 1916.
He enlisted at the Royal Agricultural Society Showground Camp at Moore Park in Sydney on 27th September 1916, He gave his father living in Marrickville as his next of kin.
He was allotted to the 12th Reinforcements to the 4th Division Ammunition Column. He embarked HMAT ‘Marathon’ at Sydney on 10th May 1917 and reached Devonport (England) on 20th July. After further training in England, he proceeded overseas to France on 17th October. He was taken on the strength of the 2nd Division Artillery and was allotted to the 15th Battery of the 5th Field Artillery Brigade.
He served in France for eleven months as a Driver.
He was killed in action on 27th September 1918. Major Alwin F Dixon. Officer Commanding the 5th Australian Field Artillery Brigade reported:
‘[McGorrin] was killed at the wagon lines by an H.E. Shell. He was very badly wounded internally and died a few minutes afterwards. He was buried by the Roman Catholic Chaplain E.J. Sydes in the French Cemetery at ROISEL near PÉRONNE. A cross was erected by the 15th Battery to his memory.’
After the war in the rationalisation of cemeteries and graves, McGorrin’s remains were exhumed, but re-interred in the same cemetery.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.