James BODINNER

BODINNER, James

Service Number: W61075
Enlisted: 30 March 1942
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: Not yet discovered
Born: Richmans Creek, near Quorn, South Australia, 18 March 1890
Home Town: Cottesloe, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Unemployed Storekeeper
Died: Perth, Western Australia, 2 June 1956, aged 66 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia
Memorials:
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World War 2 Service

30 Mar 1942: Involvement Private, W61075
30 Mar 1942: Enlisted Claremont, WA
30 Mar 1942: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, W61075
25 May 1942: Discharged

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Biography contributed by Chris Buckley

Born at Richman's Creek nr Quorn in South Australia, James was the fifth child of Charles Bodinner (b1842 in Cornwall, England) and Margaret (Maggie) Powell (b1855 in Dublin, Ireland). Charles was a Miner when he emigrated, arriving in Adelaide South Australia in 1856 on board the Hooghly. Charles and Maggie married in 1880 at Richman's Creek, where they lived before moving to Boulder WA in the late 1890s.

James worked as a Draper in Boulder, and was a member of the Kalgoorlie Brass Band. He served in WWI (Sergeant; Service No:596) with the 28th Infantry Battalion and was WiA (bullet to face) in 1915. He was Discharged in June 1916, and in 1917 married Frances Emily Cooke (b1893 in Melbourne, Victoria) and the couple lived briefly at Cuballing WA. They divorced, and through the 1920s and 1930s James led a troubled and itinerant life - a Brewery Worker in Hobart, Tasmania, a Cleaner and Presser in Bega NSW - used a variety of aliases (Tonkin, Brown, Wilkinson) and had numerous convictions in NSW, Victoria, Adelaide and Perth WA.

In March 1942 James was an unemployed Storekeeper in Perth WA when he enlisted in the ACMF (Private; Service No:W61075). He was attached to 29 Garrison Battlaion when he was Discharged in May 1942. James died in 1956.

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