BERRY, James George
| Service Number: | 3354 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 58th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Little River, Victoria, Australia, 1882 |
| Home Town: | Rokewood, Golden Plains, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 27 September 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Roisel Communal Cemetery Extension, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Korumburra War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Jul 1917: | Involvement Private, 3354, 58th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Melbourne embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1917: | Embarked Private, 3354, 58th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Melbourne, Melbourne | |
| 27 Sep 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 3354, 58th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3354 awm_unit: 58th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-09-27 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Pamela Berry
James George Berry was born 1882 in Little River, Victoria.He did not marry.
According to the Electoral Roll James George lived in Rokewood in 1909 to 1917 and he worked as a labourer.
On 8th June 1917 he enlisted in the Army to do his duty during World War One (WWI). He joined quite late and completed his recruit training in Broadmeadows, Victoria. James was 34 years and 10 months of age when he enlisted.
He was given the service number of 3354 and allocated to the 9th/58th Battalion of the 4th Brigade. At his medical he was described as being 32 years and 10 months old, 5'11" in height, and weighing 108 lbs, his complexion was fresh, blue eyes, and black hair with some grey..
He departed Australia, embarking from Sydney, New South Wales 16 July 1917 on the 'HMAS Port Melbourne' and arriving in Liverpool, England 18th September 1917.
He wrote the last known letter to his sister Minnie (Min) whilst travelling on the ship at sea.
On 8th January 1918 he was sent to France via Southampton, Hampshire, England and arrived the day ofter in Havre, France.
It was 13th January 1918 when he finally reached his unit, the 9th Reinforcement Battallion where his war service really began.
Unfortunately he was gassed by the Germans in the trenches on 2nd May 1918 and was admitted to a casualty station for medical attention.
It took some time for him to recover but he did and was discharged from the medical facility and rejoined his unit in France 18th July 1918.
His superiors thought that he was a very capable soldier so they promoted him, appointing him to the rank of Lance Corporal in the Field on 15th September 1918.
Only twelve days later he was Killed in Action on 27th September 1918, not long after the death of his own father at home in Australia. James was resting in a fox hole at Tinecourt, France when a shell landed on the fox hole killing him instantly from a wound to his head.
He was buried near where he fell initially and when the war was over his body was exhumed and reburied in a local grave yard at Roisel, France. The cemetery has many brave men buried there and they are from many different contries: France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India and even Germans. Lot long after his death the Germans surrendered and the war was over.
James was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, these medals were sent to his mother.Mary.
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