Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James Joseph McCauley

By Alan Huynh

James Joseph McCauley was a solider from World War 1. He was born in South Australia in July 1886 and lived on Grote street, Adelaide. He had a sister named Annie McCauley and his parents’ names were Thomas and Susannah McCauley.  James was single and had no kids. He went to the school Sisters of St Joseph, Adelaide and later became a bricklayer. James enlisted on the 31st of August 1915. He embarked to Gallipoli when he was 29. James was in the 10th battalion but then was taken on strength into the 27th battalion. James was 5 feet 6 ¼ inches tall and weighted 63.9 kg. He looked fresh meaning a youthful look. James had grey eyes and dark/brown hair.

 James Joseph McCauley enlisted into World War 1 on the 31st of August 1915. He was allotted into the 10th battalion but was then T.O.S to the 27th battalion in Zeitoun in Egypt. He embarked to the battle in France on the 3rd of April 1916. He embarked to Marseilles in France. James carried a rifle when in war. When he was in France he got wounded in the back on the 19th of August 1916. He was then transferred to the General hospital in Etaples in France. He was then transferred because of his wound to the hospital ship in Brighton in England. He also had a shoulder wound. Later when his wounds were healed in Chatam hospital he was discharged on 26/10/1916. He proceeded to go back to war and was on a ship to the sea of France from England. He re-joined his unit on the 8th of February 1917. He then got sick and had to go to hospital on the 5th of the 2nd 1917. He had scabies and when he was healed, he re-joined on the 24th of April 1917. He was then sick again in France when he got a boil on his left leg on the 5th of April 1917. Later on, he recovered and re-joined on 20/4/1917. Around 1 month later in 8/5/1917 he had to go to a casualty cleaning station which was a small field hospital. This is because an injury in his arm and leg in Rouen. Another month later, he got a general service wound in his arm and leg. He then had to go to hospital in Havre in France, on the 31/05/1917. On the 12th of June he re-joined his unit and marched back to France on the 25th from Havre. He then sailed out to Belgium on the 20/21-9-1917. After arriving in Belgium, he got a general service wound in the face and skull. He was then taken to the CCS, when he healed, he went to Etaples in France. James then had a very bad wound and was taking to hospital in the 16th of February 1918. He was transferred to the Havre hospital. He then re-joined his unit 2 months later on 21/03/1918. 5 months later he got sick on 4/07/1918. He had a gunshot wound in the thigh on the 18th of September 1918, and died the next day because of his wound.

James showed the Anzac spirit in war because he didn’t give up. He kept getting wounded and sick, but he still went back to war. He has endurance in war. After his death he got awarded with 3 medals. He got awarded the 1914/15 Star medal which looks like a diamond with two sword and the top of the medal has the colours of the France flag., The British War Medal, the medal is silver with a horse and a man on it. The Victory medal was gold and had an angel on it and the other side has text reading “The great war for civilisation 1914-1919.” James Joseph McCauley was later buried in France in a place named Doingt Communal cemetery extension. The location of the cemetery is Somme, France.