Calder, James

3357 Private James Calder - 52nd Battalion & 4th Division Signal Company

James Calder was born in Inverness Scotland in 1892 to James and Christina Calder. He was educated in Scotland but while he was still young the family moved to Western Australia and set up residence in Mary Street North Fremantle.

James was working as a Machinist for George Wills & Coy Fremantle. 

On the 27th July 1915 James successfully enlisted into the AIF.

The medical examiner recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 Feet 5 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 139lbs;

Chest Measurement - 35-37 Inches;

Complexion - Fair;

Eyes - Blue

Hair - Fair;

Religious denomination - Presbyterian.

After his successful enlistment James was sent to No.1 Depot Training Battalion at Blackboy Hill Camp. On the 28th September 1915 he was then assigned to the 11th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion. James trained with this group in WA until the 1st November 1915 when the reinforcement group went to Fremantle Harbour and boarded the HMAT Benalla which took them across to Egypt.

The journey took a few weeks and after disembarking the men were marched into the 3rd Training Battalion in Egypt, As Gallipoli were being evacuated, James and his group were retained in Egypt and were set to join the 12th Battalion once they arrived back from Gallipoli.

In March 1916 James was transferred to the newly created 52nd Battalion. James served with the 52nd Battalion in France and Belgium through 1916 and 1917. He got through the actions of the Battle of the Somme at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm unscathed and also survived the actions at Bullecourt and Messines in 1917.

In June 1917 James was transferred to the 4th Division Signal Company and part from a period of illness in 1918 he saw out the remainder of the war with his unit.

In March 1919 James boarded the ship Commonwealth and set sail for WA disembarking in Fremantle on the 4th June 1919.

James was discharged from the AIF on the 27th July 1919.