James William George PYLE
Year of Birth: 1895
Place of Birth: Watsonville near Herberton, Queensland
Date of Enlistment: 6 January 1915
Date and Place of Embarkation: 29 June 1915, Brisbane, Queensland
Ship: HMAT Aeneas A60
Rank: Sergeant
Unit(s): 25th Australian Infantry Battalion
Regimental Number: 210
Died: 29 July 1916
James William George Pyle was born in Watsonville near Herberton on the 4 April 1895 to James Pyle and Clara Trevenen. He was the eldest of 7 children, Rose Evelyn born 1897, Nellie Amelia 1899, Wilma Henrietta 1900, Florence Bertha 1901, Norman Elisha 1903 and Robert James 1906. James’s father died 1909.
On his enlistment in Cairns his age was 19 years 10 months, his occupation a Labourer and his next of kin his mother, Mrs C, Pyle, Bunda St., Cairns. His height was 5 feet 7 inches, weighed 130 pounds with fair complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. His religion was Church of England.
He also served in the AN&MEF in the Far North Queensland Kennedy Regiment, known as the Dirty 500. Members of the Dirty 500, including James, landed on Thursday Island on 16 August 1914 from the troopship “Kanowna”, to take part in the capture of German New Guinea. An incident on board the “Kanowna” involving the firemen forced the immediate return of the troops to Townsville on 18 August 1914; James was discharged the same day.
James fought in the Gallipoli Peninsula and was admitted to the 7th field Ambulance with a Septic Throat and after discharge dissembled on the “Hororata” and disembarked in Marselilles, France.
James William George Pyle was killed in action in France and buried in the Courcelette British Cemetery, Picardie, France.
Online Resources
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
Photograph of the HMAT Aeneas A60, Australian War Memorial
NAA: B2455, Pyle James William George, National Archives of Australia
Australian War Memorial – Red Cross Wounded and Missing
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Northern Herald (Cairns) – 3 August 1917 p58 – Roll of Honor
Other Resources
The First Expeditionary Force: the Thursday Island Expedition: a collection of reference documents. Denis Bird, 2015 [CDFHS Library]
If you have a photograph or further information about this soldier you would like to share and add to his biography, please contact the Society at projects@cdfhs.org or leave a comment below. Thank you!
Sgt Pyle was my great grand uncle. His sister Rose never got over his death. We wish we had a photo. Is there a military source we can contact?