TOOHEY, James
| Service Number: | 5461 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 January 1916, Enlisted at Liverpool. |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 56th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bradford, County Clare, Ireland, September 1883 |
| Home Town: | Newtown (NSW), Inner West, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 11 December 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Irish House Cemetery, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5461, 4th Infantry Brigade Train, Enlisted at Liverpool. | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 5461, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 14 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 5461, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Sydney | |
| 10 Dec 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5461, 56th Infantry Battalion, Wounded in action with shrapnel to his head. Died of his wounds the next day. | |
| 11 Dec 1917: | Involvement Private, 5461, 56th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5461 awm_unit: 56th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-12-11 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
James TOOHEY, (Service Number 5461) was born at Broadford, County Clare, Ireland about September 1883.
He worked for the NSW Government Railways and Tramways in the Permenent Way (track) branch and probably worked on the Cullerin to Jerrawa Duplication and Deviation.
Toohey enlisted at Liverpool on 4th January 1916 and gave his sister, Mary Butler living in Newtown as his next of kin. He gave his ‘trade or calling’ on his Attestation Papers as ‘Labourer’.
He was initially allotted to the 17th Reinforcements to the 4th Battalion. He embarked HMAT ‘Ceramic’ at Sydney on 14th April 1916 and reached Suez on 17th May 1916. In Egypt he was re-allotted to the 56th Battalion. He embarked HT ‘Ivernia’ at Alexandria for passage to join the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France on 21st June. He passed through Marseilles on 29th June and joined the Battalion on 26th July.
In December he was detached for duty with the Anzac Light Railways. They ran narrow guage trains carrying munitions and supplies from the main line to the front. He remained with the ALR for six months until he had leave in England. He reported back to the 56th Battalion on his return. In August 1917 he was sick with pleurisy and admitted to the 7th Canadian Stationary Hospital. This disease took several months to clear and in that time he was admitted to the 7th Convalescent Depot at Boulogne, the Convalescent Depot at Trouville and the 5th Division Base Depot at Havre. He re-joined the 56th Battalion on 7th November.
Toohey was wounded in action with shrapnel to his head on 10 December 1917 and died of those wounds the next day – 11th December 1917. He was buried at the Irish House Cemetery 2¼ miles NW of Messines, Belgium.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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