Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James (Jim) was born in Mount Gambier on the 7th June, 1917 to Wallace and Dora McMutrie. He had a younger brother, Glen Russell and older sisters, Greta and Cora Jane. The children all attended the local Moorak School in an era where Arbor Day was still proudly celebrated with the planting of trees and shrubs. At one such ceremony, older sister Greta gave a recitation followed by the scholars singing songs including "Australia, land of my fathers," and "God bless the Prince of Wales" to the large gathering of parents. With the three older children attending the school, the McMutrie family was regularly involved in fundraising to improve facilities. In ’26, over 300 residents attended a Fun and Frolic evening at the Moorak Hall as part of the school’s fundraising for their 106 students. Jim won an award in the Boys Over 10 group for his costume of a Jockey. His sisters had gone as Aladdin (Cora) and a Gypsy (Greta). The festivities continued with supper and dancing into the early hours of the morning.
At the end of that year, a further fundraiser was organised culminating in a King and Queen Competition. The royal pair, their train and crown bearers were paraded into the Moorak Hall headed by Jim as the Herald. Jim also confidently gave a public recitation, titled "My Big Brother," as part of the formal end of year celebrations. Overall, £122 was raised with funds going towards the construction of a suitable building for woodwork and domestic arts. That year these were two of three new subjects added to the curriculum, with the third being Elementary Agriculture. In the Head Teacher’s report, he stressed that “it is not our aim to turn out proficient farmers, carpenters, and pastry cooks, but to create an interest in such branches of usefulness as may be of vital importance in after life.” By 1930, Jim had benefitted from the new subject, gaining his Woodwork Certificate, having completed twenty models and drawing, together with a knowledge of timbers and the use, and care of tools.
In a devastating blow to the family six years later, Jim’s youngest sibling, 13-year-old Glen, was returning to Moorak from Mount Gambier on his bicycle. Riding with his head down, he had not seen the rear of a stationary truck in time to avoid a collision, crashing into the back of the vehicle and sustaining severe head injuries. Unconscious, he was taken by ambulance to the Mount Gambier Hospital with a fractured skull, spinal and other injuries, remaining unconscious for several days and showing little improvement after a week. Whilst grave concern was felt for his future a fortnight later he began showing marked improvement. Four years later, this time on a motorbike, Glen struck a corner guard post on Corkscrew Hill, knocking it out of the ground. He also lost his teeth, was badly shaken up and his motor bike extensively damaged. A further trip to the Gambier Hospital followed.
By this time, Jim had gained employment as a factory worker but with the outbreak of WWII, having just turned 23, Jim enlisted and was allocated the number SX7660 in the 2/48th Battalion. His initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before he and other new enlistees headed to Woodside for their preliminary training. Following pre-embarkation leave, he and his fellow 2/48th Battalion, boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940 and disembarked on the 17th December. The 2/48th Battalion completing a few months training in Cyrenaica. The next stop was to Tobruk at the start of April 1941 where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to these fresh new enlistees. By August that year, Jim was treated for appendicitis then three months later for jaundice. Illness continued to plague his service years.
Whilst in the Middle East in ‘42, Jim served in the Trig Battalion and Special Group. He continued to be affected with several health issues including the extremely painful shingles (Herpes zoster) in April ’42 before finally leaving the Middle East and returning to Australia via Melbourne.
Back in South Australia, the Verdun locals organised a welcome home socialin March ‘43 for Sergeants Stewein and Dudley W. Anderson SX6030, Privates Len. Burgoyne SX1015, Henry Aubert SX8734, James Mc Mutrie and Wally Stewien SX7933 and all from the 2/48th Battalion and other young men from different battalions. Several speeches were made before a two minutes' silence was observed in memory of fallen comrades. Some of the soldiers responded before ‘For They are Jolly Good Fellows’ was sung, preceding a generous supper. Then with limited time, Wally and Marion organised their wedding the following month on March 26 at the Pt. Adelaide Presbyterian Church.
A year later, Jim uncharacteristically went absent without leave then three months later in July ’43 he suffered chronic dyspepsia and the severe stomach pain that accompanies such indigestion, before heading to New Guinea arriving in August ’43. The tropical conditions meant that illness continued to afflict Jim with bouts of dengue fever, malaria and high fevers.
On return to Australia in April ’44 Jim was treated for tinea and hospitalised. Three months later he was again diagnosed with an extreme fever, probably exacerbated by conditions including malaria. Just months later, Jim’s 61-year-old father, Wallace died in July. He and Dora had moved to live in North Walkerville from Hahndorf. (Jim’s mother, Dora lived to be 98 and died in December 81. She was buried with Wallace in Centennial Park as was their daughter, 57-year-old Cora in November ’72 and 69-year-old Glen in August ’92.)
Jim was eventually discharged as being medically unfit for service in September ’44. He married Beatrice Ileen Huddy with the two welcoming their daughter, Barbara Elaine in June ’46 and a second daughter in February ’49.
Aged 83, Jim died in February 2000 and was buried in the Enfield Memorial Park. Beatrice lived to a similar age and died four years later in December 2004
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.