Shorrock, James
Lieutenant James Shorrock DSO – 28th Battalion AIF
James Shorrock was born in Hellifield, Yorkshire England on the 28th October 1888 to William and Nancy Shorrock. He was one of seven siblings and was educated in England and after leaving school he joined the police force. James later moved to Western Australia where he was employed by the WA Police service. On the 22nd January 1913 he was made a probationary constable in the Perth district. On the 3rd April 1914 he was then transferred to the Fremantle district. It was most likely during his time in Fremantle that he met May Linton and they married in early 1915. They set up residence in Fremantle, initially taking a room at the Fremantle Hotel, but later in George Street South Fremantle. There was sad news later in the 1915 as during May’s pregnancy their child was stillborn.
James received permission from the police force to enlist in the AIF and they would keep the job open for his return. On March 11th 1915 James went to the Francis Street Drill Hall in Perth to enlist in the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner finding him to be 5 feet 10 & ½ inches tall; weight of 167 lbs; chest measurement of 40-42 lbs; fresh complexion; grey eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.
Upon his successful enlistment James was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.12 Depot Company. He remained there until the 16th April 1915 when he was transferred to “D” Company of the 28th Battalion AIF. He trained with his new unit in WA for the next few months and on the 24th May he was promoted to Corporal. They finally received their embarkation orders and on the 29th June 1915 they boarded the HMAT Ascanius in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt.
After arriving in Egypt in late July 1915 the men were disembarked and sent into the training camp. They would only have around a month in Egypt as on the 4th September 1915 they embarked at Alexandria aboard the HMT Ivernia and set sail for the Dardanelles. After being taken ashore at Anzac Cove, James and his battalion were sent to the northern sector of the battlefield in the newly captured territory from the August Offensive. The 28th Battalion would garrison the trenches around the Apex and Cheshire Ridge for the remainder of the campaign. On the 11th December James was promoted to temporary Sergeant.
Despite not being involved in any major action while on Gallipoli the 28th Battalion lost of lot of men to Turkish fire and illnesses such as Enteric and dysentery. However James served through to the evacuation in December and returned to Egypt with the 28th Battalion on the 10th January 1916. The next few months would be spent on training in preparation for the Western Front and they also helped to garrison the Suez Canal defences. On the 15th January 1916 James rank of Sergeant was confirmed.
On the 16th March 1916 the 28th Battalion boarded a transport ship in Alexandria and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 21st March. The men were then disembarked and marched through the city to the railway station where they boarded trains for the north of France. To the dismay of the men the train skirted around Paris and brought them to near Armentieres. They would soon have their first taste of the trench life on the Western Front in the Fleurbaix sector where they would remain until June 1916.
After leaving the Fleurbaix sector the 28th Battalion had a short stint at Messines and then headed for the Somme battlefield where they would relieve the 1st Australian Division who had captured Pozieres village. The 2nd Division were ordered to continue the advance and the 28th Battalion was tasked with the attack along Pozieres Road toward the German trench known as OG1.
This position was masked with thick barbed wire and protected by machine guns and the 28th Battalion was severely mauled as they advanced on this position on July 29 and they were thus forced back to their original positions when the attack failed. During this assault James was wounded when shrapnel struck him in the back, pieces of which penetrated his lung. He was evacuated to the 4th Field Ambulance and after receiving treatment he was transferred to No.4 General Hospital at Camiers.
James remained in this hospital for the next few weeks and he was then sent to hospital in England. On the 26th August 1916 he boarded the HS Dieppe in Calais and crossed the Channel to England, where on arrival he was put onto a train to Lakenham Military Hospital in Norwich, Norfolk. He was here for just under three weeks and as he had largely recovered on the 14th September 1916 he was transferred to No.2 Command Depot at Weymouth Camp.
The next month would be spent in this camp and on the 13th October 1916 he was sent to No. 3 Command Depot at Bovington. James would end up spending the next six months in this camp in England. On the 5th May 1917 he was transferred to No.4 Command Depot at Wareham and at the end of the month he was put in a draft of soldiers for France. On the 29th May 1917 he boarded a transport ship in Southampton and set sail across the Channel for France, where on arrival he was marched into the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot in Le Havre. James did not remain at this Base long as on the 10th June 1917 he rejoined the 28th Battalion.
While he was in England the sad news came through that his younger brother Richard had died on the 3rd March 1917 while serving with the 9th Battalion Duke of Wellington (West Riding) Regiment. 21 year old Richard (pictured) was buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension Rouen.
James rejoined the 28th Battalion during their rest period out of the front line and this time away from the front for the Battalion would extend until August 1917. On the 31st July James was promoted to Temporary Company Sergeant Major and he retained this rank for the next few months. In September the 28th Battalion made their way to Belgium where they participated in the Third Battle of Ypres. On the 20th September 1917 the 28th obtained their objectives during the Battle of Menin Road and a fortnight later on October 4th again secured their objectives during the action at Broodseinde Ridge.
James came through these actions unscathed and on the 7th October 1917 he was confirmed in his rank of Company Sergeant Major. His good work had been noticed by his commanding officer as James was selected for Officer training. He soon left France and on the 1st November 1917 he joined No.4 Officers Cadet Training Battalion at Oxford. The next six months would be spent in England as James underwent training as an officer. On the 10th May 1918 he was transferred to the 5th Training Battalion at Fovant for duty as a Cadet Officer. His rank of 2nd Lieutenant soon came through and on the 11th June 1918 he travelled to Southampton where he boarded a transport ship for France. On arrival at Le Havre he was sent to the Australian Infantry Base Depot.
James soon left the Base and was taken on strength of the 28th Battalion on the 16th June 1918. His unit were then stationed near Morlancourt but in July they moved closer to Villers-Bretoneux and captured Monument Wood during a small raid. A larger advance was in the planning and on August 8th 1918 the 28th participated in what became known as the Battle of Amiens. Australian, British, Canadian and French Divisions attacked the German line and broke through, pushing the Germans back.
The 28th Battalion was very successful in their initial advance and James was in the forefront of the action. For his role in the advance James was recommended for the Military Cross but this was upgraded to the Distinguished Service Order. His actions were not dissimilar to those that saw Lieutenant Gaby awarded his Victoria Cross. The recommendation read;
“During the attack east of Villers-Bretoneux near Amiens, on the morning of 8th August 1918, this officer led his platoon with great dash. On one occasion, well in advance of his men, he jumped into an enemy trench and single handed captured 20 of the garrison and 2 machine guns. On the objective being reached, he quickly organised his men and consolidated his position.
During the attack east of Framerville, near Amiens, on the morning of the 11th August 1918, the advance was held up by an enemy strong point. Lieutenant Shorrock working round to a flank single handed reached the post and captured 10 of the garrison and 2 machine guns. This gallant act saved the situation and allowed the advance to continue.”
The advance continued through August but the constant action had a debilitating effect on James and he was evacuated to the 6th Field Ambulance ill on the 28th August 1918. He was then transferred to the 55th Casualty Clearing Station before being sent on an ambulance train to the 2nd General Hospital at Le Havre. James recovered quite quickly and on the 7th September 1918 he rejoined his unit in time for their final actions in France.
The 28th Battalion were involved in the final actions of the AIF when they participated in the capture of the Hindenburg Line near the village of Montbrehain. They were then relieved from the front line on October 4th 1918 and were sent towards the coast for a rest. On the 7th October James rank of Lieutenant was confirmed and on the 15th October he was granted two weeks of leave in England. He returned to France on the 31st October and resumed duties with the 28th Battalion. On 10th November 1918 James was sent to the Gas School for a course so he was away from his unit when the Armistice was declared on the 11th November 1918. James returned to the Battalion on the 16th November.
After the armistice was signed the Germans retreated to their own borders and the AIF was sent to garrison parts of Belgium that had been under German occupation since 1914. They remained here into the first few months of 1919 and it was here on the 11th January that James was told that his award of the DSO had been confirmed. The Battalions of the AIF were slowly dissolving in strength as the men of the AIF were being sent to England to prepare for transport back to Australia and at the beginning of February 1919 James was granted a leave of absence from the AIF. As part of the demobilisation scheme, the men of the AIF had the chance to learn trades during their time in England before being sent home. James had chosen to learn about farming and he was able to return to his birthplace of Hillsfield near Leeds in Yorkshire to a farm of Mr. WH Robinson. He stayed at this farm from the 10th February until the 10th May and no doubt took ample opportunity to catch up with his family while he was in this district.
After his farming experience was completed James reported back for duty to the AIF details camp and he spent another month in England while waiting to be assigned a berth on a ship to Australia. James was then assigned passage on the ship Kongin Louise and this ship sailed from England on the 21st June 1919, arriving back in Fremantle WA on the 3rd August 1919.
After being disembarked James was sent to No.8AGH in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical examination and after having his old wound and general health assessed, he was released from hospital and joined his wife in George St South Fremantle. James would have found out on his return to WA that he had also been awarded a Mention in Despatches for his good work in the last months of the war.
James resumed his work with the Police force with a position in the Perth district and so he moved with May to a new residence in North Perth. There would be no time to enjoy the fruits of the peace he had fought for as on the 26th November 1919 James died unexpectedly from tonsillitis. He was given a military funeral and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery.
In 1928 May Shorrock remarried Joseph Wormald, a returned serviceman {No.3131 3rd Pioneer Bn} and took up residence in the Wellington district of WA.