DONOVAN, James Francis
| Service Number: | 6254 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 14th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, February 1885 |
| Home Town: | Yarraville, Maribyrnong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | St Augustine's (Catholic) School, Yarraville, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Trimmer |
| Died: | Wounds, Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich, Norfolk, England , United Kingdom, 25 March 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Norwich Cemetery, Norfolk, England Grave 54, 704, Norwich Cemetery, Norwich, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6254, 14th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 1916: | Involvement Private, 6254, 14th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Sydney embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Sep 1916: | Embarked Private, 6254, 14th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Sydney, Melbourne |
Help us honour James Francis Donovan's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick & reproduced with permission – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 25th March…… James Francis Donovan was born at West Melbourne, Victoria in 1885.
He married Sarah Elizabeth McDonnell in Victoria in 1912. A son – James Francis Donovan was born in 1912; a daughter - Marie Claire Donovan was born in 1914 & a daughter – Hannah Ellen Donovan was born in 1915. Sadly Hannah Ellen Donovan died in December, 1916.
James Francis Donovan enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 10th February, 1916 as a 31 year old, married, Trimmer from Yarraville, Victoria. According to information provided by his wife for the Roll of Honour - James Francis Donovan had served for 7 or 8 years with Citizen Forces.
On 7th September, 1916 Private James Donovan, Service number 6254, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Port Sydney (A15) with the 14th Infantry Battalion, 20th Reinforcements & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 29th October, 1916.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
He proceeded overseas via Folkestone on 21st December, 1916 on Princess Clementine from 4th Training Battalion. He was marched in to 4th A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Havre, France on 22nd December, 1916 & joined 14th Battalion in the Field on 4th January, 1917 from 4th A.D.B.D.
Private James Francis Donovan was wounded in action in France on 29th January, 1917. He was admitted to Anzac M.D.S. (Main Dressing Station) on 25th January, 1917* with gunshot wounds to back & chest then transferred to 45th Casualty Clearing Station on 26th January, 1917*. Private Donovan was transferred to 25th Ambulance Train on 26th January, 1917* & admitted to 11th Stationary Hospital at Rouen, France on 29th January, 1917. He was marked for transfer to England on 1st February, 1917 & embarked on Hospital Ship Warilda from Havre on 3rd February, 1917 with gunshot wounds to chest & right buttock. (Note: - dates marked with an * are as recorded on the “Casualty Form – Active Service”. According to the War Diary for 14th Battalion – Pte J. F. Donovan was wounded in action on 29th January, 1917).
On 4th February, 1917 Private Donovan was admitted to Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich, England.
Private James Francis Donovan died at 8.30 pm on 25th March, 1917 at Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich, Norfolk, England from wounds received in action in France – gunshot wounds to chest & right Buttock & Septicaemia.
He was buried in Earlham Road Cemetery, Norwich, Norfolk, England where 23 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
[Younger brother - Private Malachi (Mark) Donovan, 2788, 7th Battalion, A.I.F. Enlisted 1st July, 1915. Killed in action in Belgium on 20th September, 1917. Remembered on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.]
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/norwich---norfolk.html
Click images to start slideshow.