James ROGERS VC, MID

James ROGERS VC, MID Update Details

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ROGERS, James

Service Number:	81
Enlisted:	7 November 1914, Melbourne, Victoria
Last Rank:	Lieutenant
Last Unit:	Anzac Police
Born:	Moama, New South Wales, Australia, 4 July 1873
Home Town:	Williamstown, Hobsons Bay, Victoria
Schooling:	Moama, local public Schools, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:	Policeman/OC Dock Guard/Soldier/Grazier
Died:	Natural causes, Concord, New South Wales, Australia, 28 October 1961, aged 88 years
Cemetery:	Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Melbourne Cremated with Military Honour Guard 31 Oct 1961
Memorials:	Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Heywood James Rogers VC Memorial

Boer War Service

1 Oct 1899:	Involvement Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 81, 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles, The Boer Offensive
1 May 1900:	Transferred Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, 1st Victorian Mounted Rifles, detached Provincial Mounted Police, Orange River Colony as with rank of corporal - till November 1900 when his army unit returned to Australia - stayed in South Africa
1 Jan 1902:	Involvement Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Lieutenant, 6th Battalion, Australian Commonwealth Horse

World War 1 Service

7 Nov 1914:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Train, Melbourne, Victoria
2 Feb 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Train, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Chilka embarkation_ship_number: A51 public_note: ''
2 Feb 1915:	Embarked AIF WW1, Captain, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Train, HMAT Chilka, Melbourne
9 Jul 1915:	Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 3rd Light Horse Brigade Train, ANZAC / Gallipoli
4 Aug 1915:	Wounded The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli, GSW (left shoulder)
3 Apr 1916:	Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Anzac Police
31 Dec 1916:	Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant

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Biography contributed by Nicholas Egan

Rogers, James (1873–1961)

by Anthony Staunton

James Rogers, soldier and farmer, was born on 4 July 1873, at Woodside Farm, Moama, New South Wales, son of Welsh-born John Rogers, farmer, and his wife Sarah Louisa, née Johnstone, from Sydney. Rogers was educated locally at public schools. In 1886 his family moved to Heywood, Victoria, where he later worked on his father's farm and joined the local company of the Victorian Mounted Rifles in 1898. He was 6 ft 2 ins (188 cm) tall, 12 stone (76 kg) and a superb horseman, tough bushman and crack rifle-shot.

When the South African War broke out Rogers enlisted and in November 1899 disembarked at Cape Town as a private, 1st Victorian Mounted Infantry Company. On 1 May 1900 he was seconded as a corporal to the Provincial Mounted Police, Orange River Colony. Instead of returning home with the Victorian Contingent in November he joined the South African Constabulary as a sergeant. In June 1901 he was part of its No.6 Troop, commanded by Lieutenant Frank Dickinson. The troop joined a 200-man column of the Royal Irish Rifles which patrolled from Thaba'Nchu to Tabaksberg in search of Boer forces. On the return march, about ten miles (16 km) north of Hout Nek, the column came under Boer sniper fire. Dickinson with six men, including Rogers, waited in ambush at a kraal while the column returned to camp. They surprised the Boers and then Dickinson withdrew his men to rejoin the column. About two miles from it sixty Boers tried to cut them off. When Dickinson's horse was shot Rogers, despite heavy enemy fire, rode back, pulled him up behind him on his horse and carried him out of danger. Rogers returned twice more to rescue two men who had let go of their horses when they had dismounted to fire. He then caught and led back to the firing line two horses which had escaped from other men. He returned to Australia late in 1901 and Dickinson recommended that his gallantry be recognized; Rogers was awarded the Victoria Cross on 18 April 1902, having previously been mentioned in dispatches.

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