JAMES, Frederick
| Service Number: | 3347 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 August 1915, Warwick Farm, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 14th Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | Sydney New South Wales, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Mascot, Botany Bay, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 20 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery Plot IV. Row A. Grave 7. Inscription: MUCH LOVED SON OF WILLIAM AND JANE LOST AND NOW FOUND FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mascot War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3347, Depot Battalion , Warwick Farm, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 4th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' | |
| 13 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Lincoln, Sydney | |
| 13 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 56th Infantry Battalion, T.O.S. from 4th Infantry Battalion | |
| 10 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 14th Machine Gun Company, T.O.S. from 56th Infantry Battalion | |
| 19 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 14th Machine Gun Company, Embarked Alexandria for B.E.F per H.M.T. "Canada" | |
| 25 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 14th Machine Gun Company, Disembarked Marseilles, France | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 14th Machine Gun Company, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 14th Machine Gun Company, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), Killed in Action | |
| 20 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3347, 14th Machine Gun Company, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3347 awm_unit: 14 Machine Gun Company awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-20 |
Red Cross witness reports - death of PTE Frederick JAMES at Fromelles
Red Cross File No 1420704
Statements from witnesses:
2818 J. ELLIOTT, 56th Bn, 6 November 1916: 'He came from Bathurst, N.S. Wales, and was buried in a cemetery between Sailly and Estairs, Bac-St.-Maur Road. I saw his grave there.' (this seems incongruous given his remains were recovered from the Pheasant Wood site)
3330 Pte P.G. HUGHES (patient, 23rd General Hospital, Etaples), 6 November 1916: 'James was killed by shell: I did not see it happen but I saw him lying afterwards. I think he was buried at the top of Pinney's Avenue in the cemetery.'
2780 Lance Corporal B.H. PHILLIPS, 56th Bn, '[2705 C.W.] Johnston was a L.M. Gunner and James was in A. Company. We made an attack on the 19th and were driven back to our own lines, and these two and three others were killed by the same shell in our trench. James' head was practically blown off. I - a stretcher bearer - was on the next bay and was called in. James and Johnston were both taken out and buried in a Cemetery behind the lines. I think the cemetery at the mouth of "V.C. Avenue" near Fleurbaix. I knew Johnston very well indeed, but James not so well.'
1704 Pte G.W. MURRAY, 56th Bn (patient, 9th General Hospital, Rouen), 16 November 1916: 'I saw this man killed by a piece of shell hitting him on the head on the 20th July near Fromelles. I heard afterwards that he was buried.'
Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France.
Submitted 10 October 2018 by Steve Larkins
Biography contributed by VWM Australia
The Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing File attached to this memorial has information that does not relate to this person. In what appears to be a case of mistaken identity the information contained, describes what happened to 1687 Francis Henry James of the 56th Infantry Battalion.
It can not relate to this person as his remains were later identified with the 250 who were exhumed at Pheasant Wood. He is not a Teacher and he does not have Red hair as described in eyewitness accounts.
Private 3347 Francis Henry James did serve for a short time with the 56th Infantry Battalion and may have been known by these men.
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