CAIRNS, James Arthur
| Service Number: | 9 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 March 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Saddler Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 11th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Walgett, New South Wales, Australia, 5 January 1864 |
| Home Town: | Coorparoo, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Saddler |
| Died: | Natural Causes, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 26 October 1954, aged 90 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Plot: ANZ-Portion 8-Section 11-Grave 35 - UNMARKED GRAVE |
| Memorials: | Coorparoo Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Saddler Sergeant, 9, 11th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Jun 1915: | Involvement 9, 11th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Jun 1915: | Embarked 9, 11th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Medic, Brisbane | |
| 26 Aug 1916: | Discharged AIF WW1, Saddler Sergeant, 9, 11th Light Horse Regiment |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Claude McKelvey
James Alfred Cairns appears to have served in both the South African (Boer) War and in WW1. It appears that his middle names have either been transcribed incorrectly or different used at various junctures in his life. These changes and service coroborated by the Bio provided for him on the Australian Boer War Memorial database.
When he first served in 1900 as a Private (rising in rank to Corporal) S.N. 93 in the 3rd Queensland Mounted Infantry, Boer War, he was lidted on the nominal roll as James Alfred Cairns. This matches with his name on registration of his marriage to Eliza Jane Isaacs on 19 Feb 1900 in Queensland prior to embarking to the Boer War.
In 1915 while living at Coorparoo, Brisbane with his wife, Eliza Jane Cairns, he enlisted for WW1 under the name of James Arthur Cairns as a Sergeant Saddler S.N. 9 in the 11th Light Horse Regiment, Headquaters AIF. On the birth of his son Frederick in 1914 he was recorded as father, James Alford Raymond Cairns, with mother Eliza Jane Isaacs. When he passed away in 1954 his funeral notice noted him as James Arthur Cairns (Boer War veteran) yet his death registration has him recorded as James Alfred Raymond Cairns. His WW1 service records Attestation Form shows that he noted his previous service in the 3rd QMI Boer War which provides the link.
(sources- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 469; Australian Boer War Memorial Database; ADFA- AIF Project database; National Archives Australia- WW1 service records).