BETTLES, James Frederick
| Service Number: | 6966 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 11th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Midland Junction, Western Australia, August 1885 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Mill Hand |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 20 September 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Dec 1916: | Involvement Private, 6966, 11th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Dec 1916: | Embarked Private, 6966, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Fremantle |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoff Tilley
James Frederick Bettles was born at Midland Junction, Western Australia in August 1885 to parents Richard and Jane Bettles. He was one of three siblings.
James enlisted into the AIF in September 1916 at Pinjarra; he was 32 years of age with his calling as a mill hand at North Dandalup. He was married to Ada Lelia whom he had two daughters and a son at the time of his enlistment.
James embarked from Fremantle in December 1916 with the 23rd reinforcements attached to 11th Infantry Battalion. He arrived at Devonport, England in the February of 1917 where he conducted further training before been sent overseas to France in June 1917, to join his battalion in the field.
In early September 1917, James with his battalion was sent from the Somme region to Hazebrouck in the northern sector of France near the Belgium border. This was in preparation for an offensive operation, of the Third Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Menin Road.
It was on the 20th September 1917 the opening day of the battle that James battalion was sent forward in the attack of Menin Road. The advancing Australians had to overcome entrenched German defensive positions which included concrete pill-box strong points. James exact fate is unknown during this attack.
Private James Frederick Bettles, service number 6966 of 11th Battalion was killed in action on the 20thSeptember 1917 at Menin Road, Ypres Belgium. He was 33 years of age.
He had no known grave but is commemorated of the Menin Gate Memorial Ypres, Flanders Belgium and he is remembered with honour.
The Australians sustained over 5,000 casualties in the Battle for Menin Road between the 20th – 25thSeptember 1917.