Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Timothy James was born on May 9, 1887, in Burra, South Australia. Timothy’s main relative was his mother, Martha James, whom he lived with in Hanson, a small town near Burra. Before Timothy was enlisted in the First World War, he worked as a labourer in his hometown. At this time, Timothy did not have any children, nor was he married. As stated on his attestation papers, Timothy James had a fresh complexion, had dark hair and hazel eyes, weighed 169lbs (76.7kg), was 5”8 (172.72cm) tall, and was Methodist. Timothy was listed on the Roll of Honor for Hanson Public School - ‘for King and Empire’.

On the 15th of June 1915, and at the age of 28 years and 1 month, Timothy enlisted into the war. He was ranked as a Private, the lowest rank in the military, in the 10th Reinforcement of the 10th Infantry Battalion and had the service number 3043. Later, Timothy James would go on to transfer to the 50th Battalion during the ‘doubling of the AIF’. Many soldiers enlisted in the war due to there being a high expectation for an adventure outside of Australia, as well as many men having a desire to serve their country. Timothy embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A70 Ballarat on the 14th of September 1915 with the majority of the 10th Reinforcement.

In September 1915, the 10th Battalion was fighting against the Ottomans at ANZAC Cove in Gallipoli. They continued to serve until December of that year when all ANZAC troops evacuated Gallipoli. The fight at ANZAC Cove was a horrible one for the Allied Forces. This would have been an unpredictable start for Timothy, especially joining the battle at the peak in September. The 10th Reinforcement among others were added to the battle of Gallipoli in hopes of giving more strength to the Allied Nations. After the evacuation, the 10th Battalion returned to their settlement in Cairo, Egypt where they stayed until the Battalion was moved to the Western Front the next year.

On February 10, 1916, Timothy James was admitted to the Fourth Auxiliary Hospital in Cairo due to Mumps. Mumps is a viral disease that causes painful swelling of the glands. It was very common during the time of the First World War. Mumps is contracted through the spread of infected saliva. This would have been common as the trenches were very tight and congested with soldiers, including Timothy, spreading diseases all around. Timothy James stayed at this hospital for exactly one month, being released on the 10th of March 1916. By this stage, the next step of Australia’s involvement in the war was emerging. The ‘Doubling of the AIF’ was a time of major growth of numbers in the Australian Army. This was followed by a large reshuffling of soldiers and their respective Battalions. Due to this, on April 2, 1916, Timothy transferred to the newly formed 50th Infantry Battalion. Half of the 50th Infantry Battalion was made up of soldiers from the 10th Battalion.

During his time in the 50th Battalion, Timothy James fought in battles such as at Mouquet Farm, and the Hindenburg Line near Bullecourt on the Western Front. The latter becomes very important for Timothy later. It would have required much bravery and dedication to recover from an illness, swap Battalions, and to carry on fighting in the war. This is a great example of the ANZAC spirit.

On the 7th of April 1917, Timothy James was shot in the hand and chest/shoulder during the First Battle of Bullecourt. This battle was fought around a small French town and was aimed at breaking through the German-controlled Hindenburg Line but did not see much success for the Allied Forces, and definitely not for Timothy. These battles were some of the bloodiest in the war, with over 10,000 Australian casualties. Timothy was sent to the Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton, England where he stayed to rest and recover.

Timothy James was deemed medically unfit to continue in the war on the 26th of September 1917. He disembarked on the 21st of November 1917 and was officially discharged on the 21st of January 1918. Timothy served for a total of 2 years and 221 days for the AIF; 2 years, and 69 days of which were abroad.

After the war, Timothy received his pension money and moved from Hanson to Henley Beach, specifically the Lady Galway Club for Returning Soldiers. He went on to marry Hannah May James and sadly passed away on the 31st of August 1957 in Clearview. Timothy James is now buried in the Enfield Memorial Park with his Wife.