James Logan Freebairn

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Tue, 09/06/2015 - 13:20

First Name:

James

Middle Name:

Logan

Last Name:

Freebairn

Mother's Name:

Margaret (nee Dunn)

Father's Name:

Hugh Freebairn

Date Enlisted:

Sunday, August 20, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

10th Reinforcements

Company:

Machine Gun Company 1

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Tuesday, October 2, 1917

Place of Death:

Belgium

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Details:

James Freebairn (Service No 600) was born in Newcastle, NSW about 1894. He enlisted in the AIF on 9th March 1915 but was discharged medically unfit on 25th May 1915. After the battles and losses of Gallipoli, Fromelle and the Somme, previously rejected men were accepted into the Army. James Freebairn was one of these. He was a single 21 year old miner from Helensburgh when he joined up and embarked on RMS Omrah on 17th January 1917 with 10th Reinforcements, Machine Gun Coy 1.

James went to France and saw service on the Western Front as a machine gunner, joining 9th Machine Gun Company on 17th June 1917. He was killed in action in Belgium and has no known grave. James is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres Belgium.

His brother Andrew (Service No 1052) served and a cousin Walter (Service No 55) died at Galllipoli.

Sources:

NAA: 2455, FREEBAIRN J L