Name: James Morrison
Awards: 1914 - 15 Star, British War Medal 1914 - 1920, Victory Medal,
Biographical Details:
James Morrison was born in Doune, Scotland, in 1887, one of nine children of Parents Peter Morrison, who died in 1918, and Anne Auld.
Although he had an uncle (his mother’s brother) living in Perth there is no information on when and how James arrived in Australia. He enlisted at Blackboy Hill Training Camp in May, 1915. At the time James was employed as a railway worker.
James served with the 7th Brigade in Gallipoli until he was hospitalised, with dysentery, in November. He rejoined his Battalion in Malta in March 1916.
On the June Trench Raid, James was designated as one of the four stretcher bearers. Presumably by oversight, James was one of only two of the 73 Black ANZACs whose service record was not marked Took part in raid on enemy trenches …
With the rest of the Raiders James was given special leave in England. He took the opportunity to visit his home town with fellow Raider John McHugh who was killed in 1917.
In December 1916 James was charged with Conduct to the Prejudice of Good Order and Military Discipline in that he was in Vigracourt improperly dressed. He was awarded 48 hours F.P. No. 2.
James was fortunate to survive the next two years of the war without serious wounds. In that time he was given leave to England on three occasions and Paris once.
It is very likely that, on one of those furloughs, it was James who organised the memorial headstone for Duncan McLeod on behalf of the 28th Battalion.
In March 1918 James was promoted Corporal.
James had strong family ties in Scotland and in 1909 had been Captain of a successful Doune Football Team. It is not surprising that in March 1919 James asked to be discharged in London. Although his Discharge Certificate shows his intended place of residence as Oakfield Farm, Hitchin. Herts, he returned to Doune.
In 1922 James married Annie Baird. They had three children, all of whom emigrated to different countries and have since died. James died in 1941 on the family farm which then passed to his brother.