James Herbert Tierney

WW1

James Herbert Tierney  (son of James & Christina of Watchem)

Service No: 2070

Enlisted 21/09/1914 at Birchip (aged 26yrs)

14th Battalion, 4th Infantry brigade (Transferred to 6th Field Ambulance 14/12/14)

On Sunday 25th April 1915, the 1st, 2nd & 3rd brigades landed on Gallipoli and on Monday 26th James 4th brigade landed.

Worked alongside John Simpson by helping load the severely wounded on the donkey before he and other members of the AMC carried out the stretcher cases.

Apart from a couple of spells in hospital with wounds or sickness, he was there for the whole campaign.

In a letter home, written on 3rd July 1915 he writes of near misses and narrow escapes. His first near miss was in the boat during that first landing and if a shell landed 2 foot closer, it would have been over. Gallipoli was his first action and although he thought he may be a bit nervy under fire, he was not. The butterflies and headaches from the roar of the guns, soon wore off.

Served in Egypt, France, Belgium.

He relayed after the war that when it was your turn to go, you just went and went as fast as you could and hoped the bullets / shrapnel missed.

Discharged 22/2/1919 and in 1920 selected a soldier settlement block in Narraport which is still in the family today.

One of 4 brothers to serve in WW1.

Albert (KIA in France), Leslie (received a DCM at Vauvillers in 1918 but died in 1930 due to complications from gas exposure), and Edgar.

WW11

Service No: V18089

Enlisted at Royal Park 1/8/1941 (aged 50yrs).

9 Garrison Battalion

·       Initially stationed at Queenscliff for Home Service

·       14/10/43 – Deployed to Buna New Guinea

o   Unconfirmed why he went to New Guinea at his age, but Tige Allan says that his lack of respect for the officers in Home services (who hadn’t seen action) saw him transferred abroad.

Discharged 4/12/1944