ELRICK, James Robertson
| Service Number: | 3228 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Montrose, Scotland, 16 October 1888 |
| Home Town: | Newtown (NSW), Inner West, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Tram Conductor |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 20 July 1916, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, Lille, Nord Pas de Calais, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Baulkham Hills William Thompson Masonic School War Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Sydney United Grand Lodge Honour Roll, Tempe Newtown Tramway Depot Honour Roll, Tempe Tram Depot War Memorial, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 3228, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 3228, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Sydney |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
James Robertson ELRICK, (Service Number 3228) was born on 16 October 1888 at Montrose, Scotland. The year of birth is clear on his railway record card, and proof of age was required. On his Attestation Papers, signed 6 September 1915, Elrick gives his age as 31 years and 8 months. He commenced working as a casual conductor on trams in Sydney in January 1914 and did not become permanent until February 1916 by which time he had long been released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces.
He left Sydney on board HMAT ‘Suevic’ on 20 December 1915.
He was killed in action three weeks later, on 20 July 1916, at The Battle of Fromelles, and was buried behind the 300-yard trench of V.C. Avenue, Rue de Petillon, 2¼ miles E. of Laventie, by Rev C W B Statt.
Submitted 27 June 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by John Oakes
James Robertson ELRICK (Service Number 3228) was born on 16th October 1888 at Montrose, Scotland. He commenced working as a casual conductor on trams in Sydney in January 1914 and did not become permanent until February 1916 by which time he had long been released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces.
On his Attestation Papers, which were signed on 6th September 1915, James gives his age as 31 years and 8 months.
He left Sydney on board HMAT ‘Suevic’ on 20th December 1915 and had reached Egypt by mid-February. He was taken on the strength of the 55th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir. In June he embarked at Alexandria and went via Marseilles to the western front in France, arriving on 29th June.
He was killed in action three weeks later on 20th July 1916 at The Battle of Fromelles.