James Gaynor

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Tue, 01/09/2015 - 12:54

First Name:

James

Last Name:

Gaynor

Mother's Name:

Isabella (nee Stainton)

Father's Name:

John Gaynor

Date Enlisted:

Tuesday, January 4, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

5th Machine Gun Battalion

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Friday, November 8, 1918

Place of Death:

France

Cause of Death:

Pneumonia

Details:

James Gaynor (Service No 5386) was born in Egremont, Cumberland England about 1890. After arriving in Australia he became a miner at Corrimal. His enlistment papers state he was a single 24 year old but he had married Mary Armature in 1915 at Burwood, however there is no mention of this on his service file.

He embarked on HMAT A40 Ceramic with 17th Reinforcements, 4th Battalion on 14th April 1916, arriving in Egypt in May 1916. On 26th July he was transferred to 56th Battalion and went to France with them. He was admitted to hospital on 2nd November 1916 with trench foot but returned to his unit on 27th November 1916. James suffered severe burns to his right foot on 11th February 1917 and was again admitted to hospital.

After recovering James was transferred to 5th Machine Gun Battalion on 7th June 1918. In early November 1918 he was admitted to 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France with Pneumonia and died at about 12 30 am on 8th November 1918.

James is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension Plot V, Row B, Grave 8.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, GAYNOR J