James Owen Horrocks

Personal Information
Date of Birth	Not known
Place of Birth	Walhalla, Gippsland, Victoria
Death	1947
Place of Death	Norseman, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	20 years, 4 months
Description	5' 6½" (1.69m) tall; weight 147 lbs (66.7 kg); dark complexion, brown eyes, black hair
Occupation	butcher
Religion	Methodist
Address	Cardup, via Beenup, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Joseph Horrocks
Military Information
Reg Number	2543
Date of Enlistment	4 Mar 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	16th Battalion, 7th Reinforcement, allocated to B Company
Date of Embarkation	19 Jun 1915 - unknown at Port Suez
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A51 Chilka
Date of Return	28 Feb 1919 - unknown
Ship Returned On	HMAT A68 Anchises
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	none at present
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Appears to have served at Gallipoli as a signaller with the 16th Battalion. A medical report on him speaks of him being buried by a shell explosion at Anzac Cove. "looks a bit nervy." On 2 Aug 1915 he was evacuated to Mudross and admitted to the 16th Stationary Hospital with Vaccina, a reaction to being inoculated for smallpox.

James returned to his unit on 28 Aug 1915. In Oct 1915 he also required four days treatment for influenza, and in early December he received treatment for a disordered action to his heart. This time he was evacuated to No 2 Australian General Hospital at Ghezireh in Cairo where he was treated for jaundice entering hospital on 5 Dec 1915, and moving to No 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital on 8 Dec 1915. He was released from hospital on 5 Jan 1916 to the Australian Base at Mustapha.

Although he entered France with the rest of the Australians, due to his medical condition he was now in Postal Corps. Spent most of the time In England base units, and made a number of visits to Bulford VD Hospital as well as a range of other hospitals with various ailments.

Spent from 6 Sep to 29 Dec 1918 with the 16th Battalion in France.

Discharged 3 Jun 1919 at 5th Military District.

Casualty List 267 published in The West Australian 23 Jan 1917 p.7, lists James as ill.

A week later The West Australian reports that James is now classified as seriously ill.

Post War

On 31 Jan 1921 James was employed by the WAGR as a casual 'repairer' at the rate of 14 shillings, 4 pence ($1.43) per day. Electoral Roll entries - 1925 living in Fortune street, Narrogin, employed as a porter before he and his wife Adelaide move to Collie with work as a shunter. 1936 both at Ajana where James is working as a miner. 1943 has James without Adelaide in Norseman mining. He died in Norseman in 1947.