MARKWELL, James Robert
| Service Number: | 7954 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Tunnelling Company (inc. 5th Tunnelling Company) |
| Born: | South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1891 |
| Home Town: | Port Augusta, Port Augusta, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Albert Park State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer (Rubber Worker) |
| Died: | Influenza, 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, Kent, England, 26 February 1919 |
| Cemetery: |
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom Section IV, Row K, Grave 1. Epitaph reads "Too Far Away Your Grave To See But Not Too Far To Think Of Thee" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Nov 1917: | Involvement Sapper, 7954, Tunnelling Companies, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '6' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov 1917: | Embarked Sapper, 7954, Tunnelling Companies, HMAT Nestor, Melbourne | |
| 15 Mar 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 2nd Tunnelling Company (inc. 5th Tunnelling Company) | |
| 26 Feb 1919: | Involvement Sapper, 7954, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 7954 awm_unit: 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company awm_rank: Sapper awm_died_date: 1919-02-26 | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 7954 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 26th February …… James Robert Markwell was born at South Melbourne, Victoria in 1891 to parents James & Mary Markwell (nee Wotherspoon).
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 10th May, 1917 as a 26 year old, single, Labourer (Rubber Worker) from Port Augusta, South Australia.
Sapper James Robert Markwell, Service number 7954, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Nestor (A71) on 21st November, 1917 with the Tunnelling Companies – May 1917 Reinforcements & disembarked at Suez on 15th December, 1917. He was posted to Australian Camp at Suez from 15th December, 1917 then entrained for Alexandria on 4th January, 1918. Sapper Markwell was posted to Australian Camp at “Gubbary,” Alexandria on 5th January, 1918. He embarked from Abbasiah on Transport E 620 on 8th January, 1918 & disembarked at Taranto on 12th January, 1918. Sapper Markwell finally disembarked at Southampton, England on 24th January, 1918.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
On 24th January, 1918 Sapper Markwell was marched in to No. 3 Camp Details at Parkhouse, Wiltshire from Australia.
He proceeded overseas to France via Southampton on 2nd March, 1918 from No. 3 Camp Details at Parkhouse, Wiltshire. Sapper Markwell was marched in to A.G.B.D. (Australian General Base Depot) at Rouelles, France on 3rd March, 1918. Sapper Markwell was marched out from A.G.B.D. on 8th March, 1918 & joined 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company at Caestre on 13th March, 1918. He was taken on strength of 2nd Tunnelling Company on 15th March, 1918 in the Field.
Sapper James Robert Markwell was wounded in action (Gas) on 1st June, 1918. He was admitted to 5th Australian Field Ambulance on 1st June, 1918 with G.S.P. (wounded) & was transferred the same day to 20th Casualty Clearing Station. Sapper Markwell was transferred on 3rd June, 1918 & was admitted to 41st Stationary Hospital – Gassed Shell. He was discharged to his Unit on 30th July, 1918 & rejoined 2nd Tunnelling Company on 1st August, 1918.
He was on Leave to UK from 8th February, 1919 & was to return on 24th February, 1919.
On 21st February, 1919 Sapper Markwell was admitted to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford with Influenza while on Leave. He was reported to be dangerously ill on 25th February, 1919. (Note: Purport form in Sapper Markwell’s Service Record file recorded he was “dangerously & seriously ill on 25.2.19.”)
Sapper James Robert Markwell died at 11.50 pm on 26th February, 1919 at 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, Kent, England from Influenza. (Time of death as listed on Hospital Admission form, however a Telegram from Hospital at Dartford to “AdminAust London” stated the time of death as 23.55 on 26th February as well as Morning State of Sick form.)
He was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England where around 360 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/mac---mon.html
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