HELP ME COBBER
James Cairns - 53rd Battalion
James (Jim) David Cairns was born in Balmain in May 1894, the second son of Robert and Annie Elizabeth Cairns. He was employed as a Ships Fireman when he enlisted in the AIF on the 28th July 1915 aged 21 years 2 months. He was 5 foot 9 ½ inches tall and 10 stone in weight.
Jim had served 2 years as a Senior Cadet and 2 years as a member of the 29th Militia Battalion in compliance with the Defence Act which had come into force 1 January 1911 . His religious denomination was Church of England. Upon joining the Army Jim had allotted 4 Shillings per day to his Mother from his pay of 5 Shillings per day.
No 3273A Private J. D. Cairns, embarked from Sydney on 2 November 1915 , on board the Euripides with the 11th reinforcements for the 2nd Infantry Battalion.
In Egypt he was assigned as one of the ‘original's' to the 53rd Battalion formed at Zeitoun in Egypt on the 16th February 1916 . The new Battalion comprised of an equal number of First Battalion Gallipoli veterans and fresh untried reinforcements from Australia . Jimmy joined the Battalion three days later at Tel-el-Kabir.
The 53rd was ordered to train at Ferry Post, having to partake in the infamous desert march to get there. The 53rd was part of the 14th Brigade of the newly formed 5th Australian Division and remained stationed near the Suez Canal until 19 June, when they embarked from Alexandria for France onboard the “Royal George”, disembarking at Marseilles on 28 June 1916 .
8 July saw Jim charged with a Breach of Discipline and sentenced on 13 July to 168 hours (7 days) detention. However he would never get to serve his punishment as he was killed during the allied attacks on Fromelles on July 19. According to reports he was hit while crossing No Man's Land and when last seen was trying to get help in applying his field dressing.
Jimmy Cairns was not listed as missing until the 28th September 1916 . The 4 Shillings (40 cents) per day that he had allotted to his mother was stopped a month later on the 29th of October.
His parents were not notified that he had been killed in action until the 15th September 1917 , when his mother received a request to repay the Army the 40c per day she had been paid from the time of James death till her allowance was stopped, one hundred and two days, a total of $40.80.
Jim's elder sister Mary Dohrn wishing to spare her mother receiving bad news from a stranger had requested the Army to notify her of Jims fate. The army sent notification of Jims death to her at Carlton , Victoria , not Carlton in New South Wales where Mary lived.
5 November 1921 Robert Cairns received his sons service medals the 1914/15 Star British War Medal and Victory Medal. A year later on 11 November 1922 Robert signed a consent form to allow his wife Annie to collect James' Memorial Plaque. Annie displayed James' Medals with those of her Father, James Gorman VC in the living room of her home.
Photos:
1) James Cairns.
2) Grave of Annie and Robert at Field of Mars cemetery. Headstone remembers James. Restored in 1993 by Harry Willey.
3) Headstone of Annie and Robert at Field of Mars cemetery.
Thank you to Harry Willey for providing the pictures and writing this memorial to James.