Wade, James Stewart

No.1925A – Private James Stewart Wade – 34^th Battalion AIF

James Stewart Wade was born in Fremantle WA in 1893 to Frederick and Mary Wade. The family lived in Beaconsfield and Suffolk Street Fremantle before moving to Perth. James was educated at Sacred Heart Convent.

 After leaving school he took up work as a horse trainer and lorry driver. On the 7^th July 1916 James enlisted in the AIF at Claremont Showgrounds with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height -  5 feet 6 inches tall;

Weight - 9 stone;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - light brown hair.

His religious denomination was Roman Catholic. 

Upon his successful enlistment James was assigned to the 2^nd Reinforcements to the 44^th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA until the 7^th August 1916 when he boarded the H.M.A.T “Miltiades” in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England. Prior to their departure, the 2nd Reinforcements had their group photo taken at Claremont Camp.

After the long sea voyage they arrived at Plymouth England on the 25^th September 1916. Tom and his group were disembarked and marched into the 11^th Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains.

Instead of joining their unit many of the 2^nd Reinforcements to the 44^th Battalion were instead sent to reinforce the 33^rd and 34^th Battalions. James was one of those allotted to the 34^th Battalion and he joined them on the Salisbury Plains on the 10^th November 1916.

He left England with the 34^th Battalion on the 21^st November 1916 and after their arrival in France they were sent to the region around Armentieres to become accustomed to trench life on the Western Front. For the next three months James served with the 34^th Battalion in this sector. In March 1917 the 3^rd Division were moved to the Ploegsteert sector in southern Belgium and they immediately began patrol work and trench raids on the German lines. They were to remain here for the next few months as preparations grew for the upcoming Messines offensive.

There had been 19 tunnels dug underneath the German lines and these were filled with ammonal which would be exploded prior to the infantry advance. The Messines attack went ahead on June 7^th 1917 with the detonation of the mines.

This destroyed the German front line positions and only minimal opposition was able to be given by the Germans. However their resistance grew as the advance proceeded. At some point on June 7/8^th 1917 James was killed in action. He was reportedly buried at Bavaria House Cemetery but after the war his grave could not be located and he is thus commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.