Herbert James Graham “James” was born in Dubbo, NSW in 1892 to Thomas Albert George and Alice Maria Graham. He had 3 sisters and 2 brothers and when Herbert was 5 years old, his mother passed away.
His father remarried Rose who help raise James.
James grew up in Guerie, a small town in NSW and worked as a farm labourer.
James was 5 feet 10 1/2 inches, 142 pounds with brown eyes and dark brown hair.
James was originally allocated to the 20th Battalion, 8th Reinforcement before being transferred to the 54th Battalion.
Little to no records exist of what happened to James, as a Red Cross File does not exist. Family were notified as early as August 1916.
James step-mother Rose, had a son Herbert Joseph Godfrey May, 1698, from a previous marriage, who was killed in action 15 May 1917 as part of the 14th Machine Gun Company during the Battle of Bullencourt.
A memorial to Herbert James from his family reads:
“Lost to sight, to memory dear,
It’s just twelve months ago,
Since the voice of the cable told,
The dauntless lad in khaki suit,
Was killed in France”
For more information, visit https://fromelles.info/.../3543-private-herbert-james.../
Lest we forget.
