James Winning

The Spirits of Gallipoli Project. North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
Personal Information
Date of Birth	19 Feb 1894
Place of Birth	Glasgow, Scotland
Death	6 Aug 1915
Place of Death	Leane's Trench, Gallipoli, Turkey Battle for Lone Pine
Age at Enlistment	20 years, 11 months
Description	5' 11" (1.80m) tall; weight 152 lbs (68.9 kg), fresh complexion, blue eyes, brown hair
Occupation	orchardist
Religion	Presbyterian
Address	'Dunkeld Farm', Bedfordale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Douglas Campbell Winning
Military Information
Reg Number	1671
Date of Enlistment	13 Jan 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement to D Company / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	22 Feb 1915 - 24 Mar 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A50 Itonus
Fate	Killed in Action 6 Aug 1915 at Gallipoli
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Bedfordale panel) Bedfordale Roll of Honour Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Joined the Battalion on 7 May 1915 at Anzac Cove, and was allocated to D Company.

In August a major attempt was made to straighten out the line, and to launch some diversionary raids. James' unit the 11th Battalion was to make an attack on Turkish trenches in an area known as Lone Pine.

The 11th Battalion's War Diary reported: " 6-8-15. About 0430 this morning the enemy made an attack in force on LEANE'S TRENCH which we recently captured. They crept up close under the parapets and delivered a heavy bomb attack. So fierce was the onslaught that the enemy succeeded in getting a foothold in the right section of our trenches. Capt Aarons was in command of this section."

"We immediately blocked with sand bags the communication tunnel leading from that position of the trench occupied by the enemy. Our men in the trench endeavoured by fire and bomb from the flank to dislodge the enemy but failed. A storming party was then formed of about 30 men under 2nd Lieutenant Procter to rush the trench from TASMANIA POST."

"This they did in a most dashing manner under heavy machine gun and rifle fire. As their casualties were considerable in carrying out this operation I did not consider the remainder sufficiently strong to seize and hold the position, so I detailed another party of 25 men under 2Lt Franklyn to follow on. They charged over the open ground in a gallant manner and succeeded in completing the capture of the trench, shooting and bayoneting all Turks left there."

"It was then found that a party of Turks had retired into No 1A Sap, where for some time they held out, but they were ultimately taken prisoners and sent of to Headquarters. Meanwhile Turkish reinforcements had been hurried up and took cover close in front of our parapets from which they could not be dislodged, even by bombs. They attempted to dig under our trenches and as there was a danger of our trenches being blown up, I decided to launch a counter attack from the left flank to clear out the enemy from under our parapets"

"For this purpose 2nd Lt Hall and 25 men were detailed and they succeeded in clearing the enemy out and also arrested an attack that was developing from our left." "The enemy attack continued for 6 hours during which a heavy bombardment by heavy guns took place as well as incessant rifle and machine gun fire. The trench parapets were badly knocked about but with the assistance of the Engineer Company, they were speedily repaired. The enemy was completely repulsed with heavy loss and the whole of the trench left in our possession. Our casualties were very heavy, especially from bomb wounds. KIA 41 {including James}; WIA 93; Missing 19."

"James Winning is the son of a settler of Bedfordale; a younger brother (Douglas) is at the front with the Medical Corps."

"...he served through the Gallipoli campaign until he was KIA 6 Aug 1915."

Along with JWG Turner, one of 40 men killed in a skirmish at Leane's Trench at Lone Pine. Death was revealed in the 76th Casualty List published in the Western Mail on Friday 17 September 1915. James' step mother Catherine Hume Winning received a pension of 20/- a fortnight from his death until it was cancelled on 10 Oct 1917. His father received a pension of £26 per annum.

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  Shell Green Cemetery Anzac Cove
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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Notes

Buried in SHELL GREEN CEMETERY, GALLIPOLI Plot II., Row I., grave 24. Son of Douglas C.W. and Isabella D. Winning, of 'Dunkeld', Bedfordale, Western Australia. Native of Glasgow, Scotland.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial