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James William Milne, son of William Abraham Milne and Lucy Gillow was born 19 September 1895 at Allansford, Victoria.

James was the sixth child of 6 children (2 boys and 4 girls).

‘Jimmy’ as he was affectionately known to family and friends spent his childhood with family at Allansford and Warrnambool. Jimmy played football in the Warrnambool Football League. The name ‘J. Milne’ appears in several Western Districts Football Association (WDFA) football press cuttings in the period 1910-1915.

Jimmy worked in and around the Warrnambool area as a labourer and carpenter before moving to Melbourne. In 1916, James lived at 37 Henry Street, Northcote and worked as a driver.

Jimmy Milne was one of a select group of Australian men and women who enlisted for military service in both World War I and World War II.

Jimmy enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) at Brunswick on 18 May 1916. Jimmy was assigned to the Anzac Cyclist Battalion, Reinforcement 2.

Jimmy embarked for Europe on board ‘HMAT A37 Barambah’ in Melbourne, Victoria on 27 June 1916.

During WW1, Jimmy served mainly in France (Rouelles, Rouen). As recorded in ‘Harder Than Football’ (Author: Barbara Cullen) Jimmy served with the ANZAC Cyclist Battalion - patrols and reconnaissance etc. In 1919 Jimmy was wounded during a mustard gas attack “He was sent to Beaufort War hospital in England for treatment after being gassed by a mustard shell …….”

Jimmy’s older brother, Arthur Douglas Milne, also enlisted in the AIF. Arthur enlisted at Warrnambool on 12 June 1917. Arthur was assigned to the 2nd Machine Gun Company, Reinforcement 15 and repatriated to Australia on the ‘SS Demosthenes’, disembarking in Melbourne on 2 March 1919.

Jimmy was repatriated to Australia on 17 March 1019 on board the Hospital Transport Ship ‘Plassy’, arriving in Melbourne on 30 April 1919. James was discharged from the AIF on 27 June 1919 in Melbourne.

Private James William Milne, Service Number: 572 was awarded the British War Medal, No 51138 and the Victory Medal, No 50126.

On returning to Australia, Jimmy remained in Victoria, living with his parents in Warrnambool whilst working as a carpenter and a wool greaser [a wool greaser extracted lanolin from sheep fleece]

Between the wars, Jimmy made his mark in VFL and country football. In 1919, Jimmy played Australian Rules football for the South Warrnambool Football Club before being recruited in 1920 to the Victorian Football League (VFL) Club, St Kilda. Jimmy was regarded as a key forward in country football and may have also played as a wingman at St Kilda….…...

Jimmy was 21 years 225 days old when he made his VFL debut on 1 May 1920 against Carlton FC at Princes Park. Using the official team list for his debut match against Carlton, it is possible to establish that seven other players in the St Kilda FC line-up had also served overseas during WW1. The list of St Kilda ‘ANZACs’ on that day were: Arnold Beitzel, Albert Bragg, Wally Cameron, Bill Cubbins, Norm Hallett, Percy Jory, Bill Lloyd and Jimmy Milne. Other well-known VFL players listed in the St Kilda team for that match day: Wels Eicke, Bill Cubbins, Billy Woodcock, Colin Watson (1925 Brownlow Medal) and the legendary Roy Cazaly. George Sparrow was St Kilda’s coach.

It is incredible to think, that after suffering such hardship during WW1, Jimmy and the other servicemen were named in the St Kilda FC team for the first-round match of the 1920 VFL season. It speaks volumes of their love of football, spirit and above all their inner strength.

Jimmy played 53 games (4 goals) with St Kilda from 1920-25. Jimmy’s last game at age 26 years 253 days was Round 5, 1925 against South Melbourne at the Lake Oval, Albert Park. 

“James W Milne…Recruited from South Warrnambool, he started as a centreman and half forward but later played in defence in a back pocket or full back.” Source: Holmesby & Main: Page 593.

A brief summary of Jimmy’s impressive career can also be found in ‘The Encyclopaedia of AFL Footballers’

Game payments for VFL football players were only introduced in about 1938 therefore James worked during his St Kilda playing days. In 1921 James worked as a wool greaser and lived in Warrnambool. In 1924 James worked as a contract labourer for the State Electricity Commission (SEC) at Yallourn whilst living at the West Camp [West Camp was a tented camp erected to accommodate contract labourers near the banks of the Latrobe River adjacent the Yallourn Power House and Briquette Works]. In 1925/1926 James worked as a labourer and lived at Balaklava. It appears Jimmy mostly undertook contract work and commuted to Melbourne when playing for St Kilda FC.

After retiring from St Kilda FC, Jimmy returned to Warrnambool. His football involvement included:
- Player for South Warrnambool FC
- Player/coach for Allansford FC (formerly known as West End Allansford FC) in WDFA.

The name ‘J. Milne’ was mentioned frequently in the Western Districts Football Association (WDFA) match reports.

In about 1929 following his coaching/playing career at Allansford, Jimmy moved to again live and work in Yallourn where the construction of the power station was in ‘full swing’. According to Australian Electoral Rolls, Jimmy lived at the West Camp. Jimmy worked for the SEC as a labourer and plant attendant at the Yallourn Power Station until 1961.

While living in Yallourn and Moe, Jimmy played football for both the Yallourn and Moe Football Clubs in the Central and Mid Central Gippsland Football Leagues. Jimmy’s football career in Gippsland included:
- 1929/1930: Captain of Moe FC (Yallourn-Moe Football League)

- 1931: Transferred from Moe FC to Yallourn FC

- 1931: Vice-captain, playing coach and a key player for Yallourn FC who won the 1931 Premiership against Trafalgar. It is hard to establish how many games Jimmy played for Yallourn FC but his impact in the local competition cannot be understated

- 1932: The ‘Gippsland Times’ (2 May 1932) reported Jimmy had now moved to live in Moe and had been cleared to play football with the Moe FC. 

It was at Moe FC that Jimmy's playing and coaching career firmly established him as one of the legendary figures in Gippsland football.

- 1932: Jimmy was selected as vice-captain of the combined Central Gippsland Football League (CGFL) team for the much-vaunted interleague clash against the Gippsland Football League at Traralgon.

- 1937: Jimmy age 39, was still playing senior football at Moe FC………. Jimmy again hit the news when his resilience and longevity in the game of football (23 years playing as a senior footballer) was highlighted in ‘The Weekly Times’

- 1938: Jimmy age 40, finally ‘hung up his well-worn leather boots’

- from 1938 to mid-1950s: following retirement as a player and coach, Jimmy remained involved in the sport of football as a trainer for Moe FC.

Jimmy was selected in the Moe FC Team of the Decade(s) (1920-1949).

Jimmy was awarded Life Membership of Moe FC – a just reward for a life of dedicated service to his club and football.

At the outbreak of the WW2, Jimmy again enlisted in the Australia Infantry Forces at Caulfield on 25 March 1941 and served as a member of the Army Reserve, 37th Employment Company. Corporal James Milne was discharged 1 July 1944.

In 1942 Jimmy age 44 labourer, married Annie Williamson age 35 teacher. Annie, daughter of Samuel Williamson and Florence May Duffell was born 1903 at Bendoc, Victoria, died 25 November 1996 age 93 at Moe, Victoria (no children from this marriage). James and Annie lived for many years in a house on the Princes Highway at Moe.

James died 26 June 1961 age 62 at Moe. James was cremated 28 June 1961 at Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Springvale, Victoria and his ashes interred at Boronia, Wall U, Niche 370.

References:
- Victoria Births, Death and Marriage records
- National Archives of Australia WW1 Service Records
- National Archives of Australia WW11 Service Records
- Australian Infantry Forces Project records
- WW2 ‘Honouring WW2 Veterans’
- Australian Electoral Rolls 1903-1980
- AFL tables; Australianfootball.com
- The Encyclopaedia of AFL Footballers, Holmesby & Main
- Mid Gippsland Football & Netball League
- Moe Football Club
- Roger C Spaull, Football Historian
- Springvale Botanical Cemetery Records
- Anecdotal Milne and Mitchell Family Recollections

Compiled by Kaye 2019 (Granddaughter of James’ first cousin, Irene Alice Jane Mitchell)