LEATHEM, James
| Service Number: | 410 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 November 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 42nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, April 1893 |
| Home Town: | Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Lurgan Model School, Ireland |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Illness (Meningitis), Military Hospital, Belfast, Ireland, 26 November 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Lurgan Cemetery Row F, Grave No. III |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brisbane 42nd Infantry Battalion AIF Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 410, 42nd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 410, 42nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 5 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 410, 42nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 26th November…… James Balfour Leathem was born in 1893 at Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.
He arrived in Queensland, Australia on 18th September, 1914 on the Otway.
James Leathem enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 8th November, 1915 in Brisbane, Queensland as a 21 year old, single, Carpenter.
On 5th June, 1916 Private James Leathem, Service number 410, embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on HMAT Borda (A30) with the 42nd Infantry Battalion “C” Company.
He was transferred to Hospital at Suez from 42nd Battalion & was admitted to Government Hospital – cause N.Y.D. (not yet determined) on 6th July, 1916. Private Leathem was transferred to Hospital at Cairo on 19th July, 1916 & admitted to No. 3 Australian General Hospital at Abbassia the same day with Debility. He was admitted to B. R. C. Hospital at Alexandria on 20th July, 1916.
Private Leathem was sent to Montazah Convalescent Depot for convalescence from debility on 16th August, 1916.
Private Leathem embarked from Alexandria on 27th August, 1916 for UK on HT Megantic. He was marched in to Larkhill, Wiltshire, England on 9th September, 1916 from Egypt.
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 4th November, 1916 Private Leathem was admitted to Military Hospital at Belfast with Debility. He was transferred to Holywood Convalescent Hospital, Belfast on 6th November, 1916 for further treatment.
He was transferred to Purdysburn Fever Hospital at Belfast on 20th November, 1916. The Hospital Admissions form states “admitted with chronic history of vomiting, weakness of limbs & severe headache.” Private Leathem was transferred back to Military Hospital at Belfast on 24th November, 1916. The Hospital Admission form reports “condition got worse on admission to this hospital. … Heart very irregular & sounds weak. Coma set in on 25th Nov. He died the same evening.”
Private James Leathem died at 12.35 am on 26th November, 1916 at Military Hospital, Belfast, Ireland from Meningitis.
The body of the late Private James Leathem was sent to his parents’ residence at Lurgan, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland from Military Hospital, Belfast for burial. He was buried by his family on 28th November, 1916 in Lurgan New Cemetery, County Armagh, Northern Ireland – Plot number F. 111 and has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/lurgan.html
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