Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James DUNCAN was born on 14th July 1899 in Richmond, Victoria, the youngest of three children born to parents Ellen (nee KELLETT) and Alexander DUNCAN.  His elder siblings were Alexander Cecil DUNCAN (born in 1894, and married Violet Varley DYSON in 1921), and Ellen Russell DUNCAN (born 1897, and married George Edward BUCHANAN in 1918).

A single, 16 year old coachbuilder at the time, James put his age up to 18 to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force in Melbourne on 15th July 1915 (the day after his 16th birthday).  Described in his service record as being only 5'4" (163 cm), 9 stone (57kg), with a fresh complexion, dark eyes and dark hair, a handwritten note purportedly written by his mother gives consent for James to enlist, and states that his father is deceased. 

Allocated the rank of Private, regimental number 2465, James completed his recruit training at Broadmeadows Camp on 2nd October, and was assigned as a Trooper with the 11th reinforcements for the 4th Light Horse Regiment the following day.  From 26th October, James was training with the Light Horse Reserve, until 19th November, when he was relegated to the 12th reinforcements for the 4th Light Horse Regiment.

On 3rd February 1916, James was transferred out of the 4th Light Horse Regiment, perhaps due to a lack of proficiency in riding skills.  He was sent to the "Langwarrin Reserve" at Broadmeadows Camp, until being transferred to the 4th reinforcements for the 29th Infantry Battalion on the 15th February 1916, with whom he embarked in Melbourne aboard HMAT Anchises on 14th March, for active service overseas.

Having arrived in Tel-El-Kebir, Egypt, James was transferred to the 46th Infantry Battalion, and joined them in Serapeum on 20th April.  They were undertaking intensive training in trench warfare with the rest of the 12th Brigade, in preparation to soon occupy the frontline trenches.

On 1st June 1916, the 46th Battalion entrained at Serapeum for Alexandria, where they embarked aboard the HMAT Kinfauns Castle to proceed to France.  During the five day voyage, the troops were allowed to rest.  Whilst at sea on the 5th June, James was charged with "smoking on troop deck where prohibited", for which he was deprived of 5 days' pay.

For the next 15 months, James served in the trenches of the Western Front.  In France, his Battalion were involved in the Battle of Pozieres, and the 1st Battle of Bullecourt, where the 46th Battalion suffered their worst casualties of the War.  In Belgium, James fought in the Battles of Messines, and Passchendaele.

On 28th September 1917, James was admitted to the No. 39 (British) General Hospital in Le Havre, France, with venereal disease.  He remained there until being discharged on 30th December.  He forfeited all 94 days' pay for the time he was there, as was the standard punishment by the AIF in an effort to discourage the practise of soldiers having unprotected sex at brothels.

James was transferred from 46th Battalion, and taken on strength with the Australian Corps School in Aveluy, France, on 20th January 1918.  The school syllabus included instruction in infantry tactics, specialist weaponry, signals, intelligence and cookery training.  James was promoted to acting Corporal (without the additional pay for the higher rank) on 28th April, and was transferred to the Australian Corps Working Party on 19th May 1918.  The Party provided labour for tasks such as digging trenches, fortifying positions, laying duckboards and burying the dead.

On 21st May 1918, just two days after his transfer to the Working Party, James went absent without leave (AWL) from 0800hrs until 1330hrs.  Four days later, he was awarded the punishment of being stripped of his acting Corporal rank, back to Private.  On 17th June 1918, James was charged with the offences of drunkenness whilst on active service in France, and using insulting language to a superior officer.  Three days later he was awarded 7 days field punishment number 2 by his Commanding Officer.  This consisted of being assigned additional hard labour tasks, while shackled with handcuffs and fetters (chain or manacles attached to the ankles), but without being tethered to a fixed object (which was field punishment number 1).

On 13th November 1918, two days after the Armistice, James once again went AWL in Paris, and was apprehended by the Military Police three days later.  He was subsequently awarded another 21 days field punishment number 2, and forfeited 4 days pay.  Following the completion of this punishment, James was transferred to the 15th Infantry Battalion on the 4th December 1918. 

On 13th April 1919, James embarked in England aboard HMAT Commonwealth for return to Australia, arriving in Melbourne on 8th June.  He was subsequently discharged in the 3rd Military District, Melbourne, due to the termination of his period of enlistment.  He was later awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service.

Following the outbreak of WW2, James enlisted in the Citizen Military Forces in Grafton, NSW, on 27th October 1939.  Aged 40 and listed as single on his enlistment application, he now resided in Newcastle, NSW, and named his next of kin as his elder brother Alexander, who still lived in Victoria.  James was assigned as a Private, Army number N71014 , and allocated to the 11th Australian Garrison Battalion (whose headquarters was based at Sydney Showground, Moore Park), for home defence on full-time duty.

During a leave of absence, James married 29 year old Edna Mary CADMAN in Newcastle on 5th July 1940.  Their address was given as 42 Tyrell Street, Newcastle NSW.

On 1st March 1942, James went absent without leave (AWL) in Newcastle.  A Court of Inquiry was held on 27th March after he still hadn't returned to his Unit, at which he was declared to be a deserter and struck off the strength of 11th Garrison Battalion, and a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Australian Provost Marshal.  James was eventually returned on 17th June 1942, and was brought before a Court Martial convened by the Commandant of the 2nd Military District Training Depots in Sydney on 30th June.  He was charged with desertion, "in that he absented himself without leave from 2359hrs on 1st March 1942 to 1430hrs on 17th June 1942".  James entered a plea of not guilty, but was found guilty of the charge.  He was sentenced to undergo detention for a period of 120 days, to be served at the Holsworthy Detention Barracks.

With a remission of 20 days of his sentence granted, James was released from detention on 7th October 1942 and rejoined his Unit, only to go AWL again later that evening.  He returned 5 days later, and was fined 25 shillings.

On 17th April 1943, James was recorded as being on strength with the NSW Line of Communication Area, having been attached under the war establishment (temporarily assigned).  On the 20th August 1943, he passed a trade test to be appointed as a cook.  He was assigned to the Australian Army Catering Corps (AACC) on 22nd January 1944, and detached to the Land Headquarters School of Army Cooking and Catering, Course number 12, in Melbourne on 11th May.  He briefly rejoined his Unit in Sydney on 8th June, before being transferred to the 2nd Australian Personnel Staging Camp at Wallgrove 4 days later.  Upon marching in, he attended a medical board on 12th June, and his classification was amended to the newly introduced category of B2 (medically fit, but by reason of disabilities of a permanent nature, employable only on certain duties requiring restricted medical fitness, or not employable in certain climates).

Some time after June 1944, James was transferred to the 2/110th Australian General Transport Company (a page appears to be missing from his service record).  This Unit was also based at the Royal Agricultural Showground in Moore Park (and later Kensington), Sydney.  James was serving as a cook in this Unit, with the rank of Private, up to the time of his discharge on demobilisation after the War ended, on 18th October 1945.  His service record shows that he and his wife had one child (under the age of 16) as at the time of his discharge.

James died in Newcastle, NSW, on 3rd August 1959, aged 60.  He was cremated, and his ashes interred in the Newcastle Memorial Park in Beresfield.  His wife Edna died in 1989, aged 78, and her ashes were interred alongside those of James.

Compiled by Karan CAMPBELL-DAVIS using historical records kept by the National Archives of Australia (WW1 and WW2 service records);  Births, Deaths and Marriages (Vic and NSW);  Australian War Memorial (46th Inf Bn, 11th Garrison Bn, and 2/110th GT Coy Unit War Diaries);  and Find A Grave website.