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Jim Anderson

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Jim Anderson
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Personal Information
Date of Birth Not known
Place of Birth Dunedin, New Zealand
Death 5 Mar 1917
Place of Death Trones Wood, Guillemont, France
Age at Enlistment 39 years, 5 months
Description 5'9" (1.75m) tall ; 170lbs
77.111 kg
; ruddy complexion ; blue eyes ; light brown hair
Occupation Shed hand
Religion Church of England
Address NOK Subiaco, Western Australia
Next of Kin Mother , Mrs Edith Ellen Anderson
Military Information
Reg Number 2366
Date of Enlistment 31 Mar 1916
Rank Private
Unit/Formation 51st Battalion, 5th Reinforcement, transferred to 32nd Battalion
Date of Embarkation 20 Sep 1916 ‒ 15 Nov 1916
Ship Embarked On HMAT A66 Uganda
Fate Killed in Action 5 Mar 1917
Monument Gosnells War Memorial
Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll
Villers-Bretonneux Memorial
Australian War Memorial
Medals British War Medal
Victory Medal



Pre War

War Service

Following basic training in Western Australia, Jim was allocated to the 5th reinforcement draft for the 51st Battalion and travelled with them to England aboard HMAT A66 Uganda departing Fremantle on 20 Sep 1916 and arriving on 15 Nov 1916.

On arrival in England he spent the bar minimum time in training before proceeding overseas through Folkestone to France on 28 Dec 1916 aboard HMT Princesse Clementine. While attached to the 4th Australian Base Depot in Étaples he was admitted to the 20th General Hospital at Camiers from 6-9 Jan 1917.

On 24 Feb 1917 he was taken on strength by the 32nd Battalion. On 5 Mar 1917 the 32nd Battalion was holding the line near Trones Wood, west of Guillemont, north of the Somme River. They had been sporadically shelled all day by the enemy, and endured an intense bombardment that lasted for an hour during twilight. As there is no known grave for Jim it is reasonable to conclude that he was a victim of the enemy shelling, with the unit's War Diary making no other mention of hostile enemy action for that day.

  • Villers-Bretonneux Memorial
  • Names on 32nd Battalion panel


Notes

One of several options to match the Gosnells War Memorial and Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll entries. The others being 1001 WO2 James Anderson MSM of Fremantle; 3006 Sgt John Thomas Anderson of Welshpool; and 323 Joseph Anderson of Fremantle (sailor).


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