DUNN, James Henry
| Service Number: | 2472 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 20th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Glebe, New South Wales, Australia, 1897 |
| Home Town: | Leichhardt, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Leichhardt Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Jeweller |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 5 May 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Brewery Orchard Cemetery, Bois-Grenier Plot IV, Row C, Grave No. 25 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Leichhardt War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2472, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2472, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 6 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2472, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Sydney |
Scouting Connection
James was a Scout with the 1st Leichardt Troop, New South Wales and is named on the Scout Association's First World War Roll of Honour
https://heritage.scouts.org.uk/explore/scouting-in-the-first-world-war/
Submitted 21 January 2020 by David Oliver
Biography contributed by Peter Rankin
He was 19 years old when he was killed.
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
James Henry Dunn was killed during a raid on the Australian positions. On the 5 May 1916, a heavy bombardment began to rain down on the forward companies of the 20th Battalion. Occupying a feature known as the Bridoux Salient in Bois Grenier, the Australians were near Armentieres, in an area known as the “Nursery Sector”: an area where units would learn the rigours of trench warfare and familiarise themselves with conditions on the Western Front. This bombardment, the heaviest endured by Australians to that point, lasted for almost two hours.
As the bombardment kept men from coming to the aid of the forward companies, a German raiding party from the Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 230 entered the Australian trenches. Armed with pistols, grenades and trench clubs, the Germans were searching for tunnel entrances. They spent eight minutes in the Australian trenches, and suffered no casualties. The bombardment and raid cost the 20th Battalion 23 dead, 72 wounded, and 11 captured.
James was the son of Arthur William Dunn and Christina Campbell Dunn, Rose Bay, Sydney. His father also served at 42 years of age, 2082 Private Arthur William Dunn of the 3rd Battalion AIF and was present at the Lone Pine battle on Gallipoli.
His younger brother, 3747 Pte. Archibald Dunn 3rd Battalion AIF was within a few months killed in action at Pozieres 25 July 1916, at only 17 years of age.
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