INMAN, James
| Service Number: | 125 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 December 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 35th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ecclefecham, Scotland, February 1888 |
| Home Town: | Tighes Hill, Newcastle, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shunter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 12 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial Tyne Cot Cemetery (Plot XXIII, Row B, Grave No. 13), Passchendaele, Belgium, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Wickham "Citizens of Wickham" Volunteers Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 125, 35th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 125, 35th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 1 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 125, 35th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
James INMAN (Service Number 125) was born on 20th February 1888 at Hoddom, Ecclefecham, Scotland. He began working for the NSW Government Railways as a temporary porter in Newcastle District on 18th January 1913. He changed to Gatekeeper and back again to porter. He gained permanent employment on 24th March. In January 1914 he became a 3rd class shunter, progressing to 2nd class in October 1915.
He was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 3rd January 1916. He had already enlisted at Newcastle a month before. He was unmarried and gave his father, who was still living in Scotland, as his next of kin.
He was allotted to the 35th Battalion. He left Australia from Sydney aboard HMAT ‘Benalla’ on 1st May 1915. He reached Plymouth (England) on 9th July. After four months further training in England he went to France on 21st November 1916.
He was reported missing in action in Belgium on 12th October 1917. It was not until 16th May 1918 – seven months later – that it was confirmed that Inman had been killed in action.
Private H. Abbott (2863) reported:
‘On 12/10/17 the Battalion was in action at Passchendaele. They hopped over at 6 a.m. Within the hour Inman was hit in the shoulder by a Machine Gun Fire. At the time [he and I] were in adjacent shell holes separated by about 10 yards, having been held up by an enemy pill box. Later I saw Inman and his mate named Longworth who had also been wounded, walking out arm in arm. They were both in good spirits. Neither man was ever seen afterwards and were apparently killed on their way back.’
Private F.W. Hunt (2821) reinforces this scenario with the observation that:
‘Enemy were shelling heavily at the time. Enquiries were made by Battalion Headquarters and [they] never reached Dressing Station. [They] must have been blown up by a shell.’
Inman’s body was recovered and buried on the battlefield at Passchendaele, but under the name INN by clerical error. There was a subsequent exhumation and re-interment at Tyne Cot British Cemetery. It was only in 1922 that the connection between INN and INMAN was made and the Imperial War Graves Commission realised that Inman did have a known grave in Passchendaele, Flanders, Belgium.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.