James Smith Dean

James Smith Dean

1918 Courtesy Jim Dean
Photo courtesy Jim Dean
Personal Information
Date of Birth	c1877
Place of Birth	Cambridge, England
Death	20 May 1862, aged 84
Place of Death	Victoria Park, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	38 years, 5 months
Description	5'7" (1.70m) tall ; 135lbs 61.235 kg ; fresh complexion ; hazel eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Postal assistant
Religion	Church of England
Address	Crawford street, East Cannington, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Bessie Dean
Military Information
Reg Number	2156A
Date of Enlistment	7 Dec 1915
Rank	Corporal
Unit/Formation	10th Light Horse Regiment, 15th Reinforcement, transferred to 4th ANZAC Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps
Date of Embarkation	1 Apr 1916 ‒ 25 Apr 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A38 Ulysses
Date of Return	12 Jul 1918 ‒ 17 Aug 1918
Ship Returned On	SS Port Darwin Sailed from Suez, Egypt
Fate	WIA 27 Mar 1918 Amman Returned to Australia
Monument	Canning Honour Roll
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Had previous service with the Cape Mounted Police (4 years) and the Cape Mounted Rifles (5 years).

Electoral Roll entries: 1916 - 1917 James and wife Bessie at Crawford street East Cannington, postal assistant.

War Service

Entered camp on 7 Dec 1915 and on 18 Jan 1916 he was sent to the 22nd Depot NCO School. Made a Corporal for the journey to Egypt. On arrival in Egypt James was taken on strength of the 3rd Training Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 26 Apr 1916. On 26 Apr 1916 he was also transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Reserve, reverting to Trooper. On 23 Jun 1916 he was transferred to the 3rd Double Squadron at Serapeum where James was promoted to temporary Corporal on 1 Jul 1916. On 2 Nov 1916 he was again transferred, this time to the 4th Battalion of the Imperial Camel Corps at Abbassia, Egypt as a Troop Corporal.

On 7 Feb 1917 he was posted to the 18th Company in the 4th Battalion. Admitted to a Rest Camp at Port Said on 21 Sep 1917, he was admitted to the 31st General Hospital on 21 Sep 1917 and treated for tonsillitis. Discharged on 27 Oct 1917, he returned to the 4th Battalion on 21 Dec 1917. On 31 Jan 1918 he was promoted Temporary Sergeant, before being wounded on 27 Mar 1918 when his unit participated in the attack on Amman. Unsuccessful, they pulled back to behind the Jordan River by 2 April having suffered 1,200 casualties, James having been wounded the first day of the battle with a gunshot wound to the head.

Seen first by the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance he was passed back to Jericho, and then through the 66th, 75th, and 96th Casualty Clearing Stations before being admitted to the 43rd Stationary Hospital on 4 Apr 1918. On 11 Apr 1918 he entered the 44th Stationary Hospital, and on 16 Apr 1918 the 24th Stationary Hospital. On 19 Apr he was admitted to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Port Said before being released on 11 Jul 1918 to board a ship home to Australia. Discharged by the 5th Military District on 13 Sep 1918.

Post War

Electoral Roll entries: 1921 - 1931 Crawford street East Cannington, postal assistant; 1936 - 1949 Henry street, East Cannington, baker; 1958 at 40 Canning Highway, Victoria Park, retired. Bessie died on 7 Mar 1964 at Victoria Park, aged 77.

In 1949 72 years old James and 62 year old wife Bessie returned from a visit to England aboard the SS Starthaird which departed London on 15 Sep 1949 for Sydney via Colombo, and Fremantle where it arrived 11 Oct 1949.

External Links

First on left in front of Sphinx and Pyramid. Photo courtesy Jim Dean