Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

KAUFMANN, James Cuthbert Cholmondeley (1889-1915)

Cuthbert Kaufmann was born on 3 September 1889, the son of James Cholmondeley Kaufmann and Sarah Jane nee Snowball of Princess Street, Kew, and was educated at Friends High School and as a boarder at Geelong College, entering there in 1909.

He was enrolled in Form VA at Geelong College as James Cuthbert Snowball Kaufmann and his address at entry was 21 Kooyongkoot Rd, Hawthorn. In the College regatta of 1909, Kaufmann rowed in the third heat of the Senior Fours. That same year he appeared in the College's Midwinter Concert and Pegasus recorded 'E J Hurst's gramophone amused the audience for some time, till the advent of the piece de resistance of the evening - a Comedietta with the mysterious title of " Eh ! What is it? Special scenery, consisting mainly of a table, a bottle of ginger-beer, and a tin pannikin had been prepared for the occasion; and the cast consisted of ... Kaufmann who acted with ease and naturalness as the villain of the play.'

He left at the end of the year, and allegedly spent some time in the South Sea Islands, working as a planter, before settling as a farmer in Queensland. Pegasus of August 1915 reported 'C. S. Kaufmann entered the College ... in 1909. Kaufmann left at the end of the year, and, we believe, spent some time in the South Sea Islands. He distinguished himself some time ago by a life-saving exploit on the Queensland coast.' The 'life saving exploit' probably refers to his actions regarding the wreck of the cutter, Orient near Double Island Point, Queensland. A newspaper account in the Maryborough Chronicle retold the saga. It stated that Kaufmann who was engaged in the copra trade had purchsed the vessel in Melbourne and left Sydney on the 10 September 1914 and was en route to the Solomon Islands when it was wrecked. Fortunately, no lives were lost but the vessel and all provisions were totally lost.

He enlisted (No. 1329) in the AIF in Melbourne on 16 November 1914, and embarked for Egypt, then Gallipoli. He wrote to the School after enlistment and Pegasus reported: 'We heard the other day from C. Kaufmann, who is at present in Egypt with the troops. He mentions meeting J Kininmonth, who appeared to be in good health and spirits, and also W Dunlop, who was at the time in hospital at Mena, recovering from a broken ankle.' Lance Corporal Kaufmann was killed in the fighting around Quinn’s Post on 1 May 1915, and buried there at Quinn’s Post Cemetery, Gallipoli - Grave A.3.

The actions of the 15th Battalion in which he served at Gallipoli are vividly described by Peter Stanley in 'Quinn’s Post: Anzac, Gallipoli', and his photograph appears in a collage in the same publication. The 'Watchman' (Sydney) published the following account of his death: 'Lance-Corporal Cuthbert Kaufmann. News of the death of this young hero in action at the Dardanelles was received with deep regret. Shortly after the war broke out he enlisted, and whilst in Egypt surrendered a stripe to ensure his inclusion in the army of the Dardanelles. He was the son of Dr J G and Mrs Cholmondeley Kaufmann of Kew, who is a sister of the Grand Master (Mr O R Snowball, MLA), whilst Dr Kaufmann is his partner, and a Past Master of No 92.'

Source: The Geelong College - http://gnet.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au:8080/wiki/KAUFMANN-James-Cuthbert-Cholmondeley-1889-1915.ashx