ANZAC Heroes | Great War 1914 – 1918

Bunbury – Wellington District Western Australia

McNAMARA, James Patrick

McNAMARA, James Patrick

Full Name: James Patrick

McNamara

Date of Birth: 01

–

1883

Place of birth: Liverpool, Sydney, NSW

Australia

Occupation: Labourer

Address: Mornington Mills EWA

Next of Kin: Wife – Emma Louise McNamara

Next of Kin Address: Mornington Mills, WA

Religion: Roman Catholic

Service Number: 10877

Rank: Driver

Unit/Division: 1st Field Artillery Brigade

Enlistment Date: 1915-11-06

Enlistment Location: Blackboy Hill

WA

Embarkation Port:

Embarkation Date: 1916-01-05

Embarkation Ship:

Disembarkation Port:

Disembarkation Date: 1916-02-03

Locations Served:

, ,

Returned: Yes

Discharge Date: 1919-11-09

Cause of Death: Train Smash

Date of Death:

Place of Death: Wokalup WA

Age at Death: 39

Burial Location: Bunbury General Cemetery, Western Australia, Roman Catholic Section, A 97

3/11/1915- Completed Medical Examination Albany, WA
6/11/1915- To 55 Depot Blackboy Hill WA as Private
9/11/1915- To 2nd Field Artillery Battery 13th Reinforcements Maribyrnong VIC as Gunner
3/02/1916- To Overseas Training camp Egypt ex Australia
10/02/1916- To No. 3 Division Ammunition Column Cairo Egypt as Gunner
19/03/1916- Appointed Driver Zeitoun Egypt
2/04/1916- Disembarked Marseilles France ex Alexandria Egypt
14/11/1916- To 1st Division Ammunition Column France ex Australian General Base Depot
12/01/1917- Transferred 1st Field Artillery Battery in the field France
1/02/1917- Admitted 5th General Hospital France ( Defective Vision ) – ex 1at Australian Field Ambulance ex 36th Casualty Clearing Station
13/02/1917- Transferred to Permanent Base England ex Australian General Base Depot France
16/08/1917- To No. 2 Command Depot Weymouth England for Return to Australia
19/04/1919- Did not embark for Australia per ” Marathon “, although Army Records state same
7/09/1919- Disembarked Fremantle WA ex England per ” Demosthenes ”
9/11/1919- Discharged from Service ( Permanently Medically Unfit )

 

SERVICE  MEDALS  AWARDED

British War Medal – No. 7149

Victory Medal – No. 7121

 

AUTHORS NOTE

Refer articles in the Bunbury Herald and Blackwood Express of Tuesday 9 November 1920.

James Patrick McNAMARA survived the rigours of the Great War , to then sadly be killed in the Wokalup Timber Train Disaster on 6 November 1920.

The heavily loaded Timber Train with Tender and 28 Trucks , suffered problems with its braking system, and left the rails at high speed  near Wokalup on Saturday night at 9.20p.m.

McNAMARA was one of 9 men killed in the disaster, whilst 2 lucky men who were in the last truck, remained uninjured , because the last 2 trucks  did not leave the rails.