Mendooran, NSW
4747
13th Battalion
Gilgandra Coo-ee
RTA
Company Sergeant Major James Gerald Cameron DCM 4747
James was born at Mendooran, in 1892 to John and Mary Cameron and was 23 years old when he enlisted in Gilgandra. The story is told that he attended the farewell ball the night before the Cooee March was to leave Gilgandra. He was swayed by the speeches, so he rode the 40miles (64kms) home to Mendooran to tell his people that he was enlisting and then rode back to march with the Cooees to Sydney. He was attested by Capt Nicholas on 12 October 1915 at Mogriguy. He was 5’8” tall; 12 stone (76kgs), fair complexion with blue eyes and fair hair and a convex scar on his left shin.
After training at Liverpool, he embarked for Egypt on the ‘Star of England’ on 8 March 1916. In Egypt James was made Acting Lance Corporal with the Cyclist Training Battalion after a spell in hospital for mumps.
James left Alexandria on the ‘Huntspill’ on 8 June 1916 and arrived in Marseilles, France on 14 June 1916 with the 1st ANZAC Cyclist Battalion and reverted to private. The cyclists were mainly used as despatch riders and they operated similar to the cavalry. In September 1916 he was taken on strength with the 45th Battalion and promoted again to Lance Corporal.
On 6 April 1917 he was promoted to Corporal and on 25 August 1917 he was promoted to Sergeant.
He missed the battle at Pozieres and spent the period until March 1917 alternating between duty in the trenches and training and rest behind the lines, first around Ypres in Belgium, and then in the Somme Valley in France. In October 1916 he was in hospital with a displaced cartilage in his right knee, then again in March with a lacerated right hand and frost bite of his left toe. In April 1917 he was admitted to the Kitchener Military Hospital in Brighton England.
On 11 July 1917, James rejoined the 45th Battalion and was promoted to Sergeant. He took part in the major battle near Passchendaele on12 October 1917. Like most AIF battalions, the 45th rotated in and out of the front line throughout the winter of 1917-18.
James had the month of April 1917 in England on leave and had rejoined his unit for only a few days when he received a gunshot wound in his left shoulder during action around Villers Brettoneux on 2 May 1918. He rejoined the unit on13 September 1918 and on 18 September 1918, James was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
The citation reads ‘For conspicuous gallantry and good work during the attack west of Bellenglise, north of St. Quentin, on the 18th September, 1918. He was Scout Non-commissioned officer. On the battalion reaching the objective, he took forward an exploiting patrol with a Lewis Gun. He came in touch with three 5.9 Howitzers and their crews. He rushed the crew six of the enemy being killed and fourteen captured. The horses were killed and owing to this the guns were captured.’
On 12 October 1918 James was appointed Temporary Company Sergeant Major.
James had the month of March 1919 in England on leave and then left France for good in early April 1919. He returned to Australia 8 April 1919 on the ‘Devanha’ and was discharged on 10 August 1919.
He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal
James married Jessie Fenton in Dubbo in 1920 and they had six children. They were living in Meadowbank in 1930 and 1946. James tried twice to re-enlist in WW2 but was discharged medically unfit with Myocardial Degeneration. The family story is that he eventually joined the American Force attached to the small craft around the northern islands of Australia.
James is commemorated on the Coo-ee Gates at the Gilgandra Heritage Centre.
James died in 1946 and Jessie died in 1983; they are buried in Queenscliff Cemetery Victoria.
