GOW, James Robert
| Service Number: | 4212 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 September 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 54th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Surry Hills, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1 January 1894 |
| Home Town: | Mortdale, Hurstville, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Iron moulder. Railways Porter. |
| Died: | Killed in Action , Bullecourt, France, 15 May 1917, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Mortdale War Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Sep 1915: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 4212, 1st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 4212, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney | |
| 15 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 4212, 54th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4212 awm_unit: 54th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-05-15 |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
James Robert GOW (Service Number 4212) was born in Surry Hills on 13 August 1894. He seems to have begun work as an iron moulder but joined the NSWGR in November 1914 as a junior porter in the Sydney District. He was promoted to porter in August 1915, but the following month was granted leave to enlist in the AIF in Sydney. He had 3½ years’ experience in the Militia.
He was killed in action on 15 May at Bullecourt. ‘His unit was preparing to advance when a German shell exploded near their trench. Private Gow and perhaps nine others were buried when the bank collapsed. They were quickly dug out but several men including Gow were dead. He was 22-years-old.’
Submitted 1 August 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
James Robert GOW (Service Number 4212) was born in Surry Hills on 13th August 1894. He joined the NSW Government Railways in November 1914 as a junior porter in the Sydney District. He was promoted to porter in August 1915. In the following month hevwas granted leave to enlist in the AIF in Sydney. He had 3½ years’ experience in the Militia.
He embarked from Sydney in December 1915 aboard HMAT ‘Aeneas’. He joined the 54th Battalion in Egypt in February 1916. In June he was sent with them to France. In July he was sent to hospital in England with rheumatic fever. He returned to France in January 1917 and re-joined his unit. At the beginning of February was sent to hospital for a fortnight with frostbite. he rejoined his unit at the end of February,
He was killed in action on 15th May 1917vat Bullecourt. ‘His unit was preparing to advance when a German shell exploded near their trench. Private Gow and perhaps nine others were buried when the bank collapsed. They were quickly dug out but several men including Gow were dead. He was 22-years-old.’ He has no known grave but is remembered with honour on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
A war pension was granted to his mother.
- based on notes for the great Sydney Central station Honour Board
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