6792 Private James Edward Mallinson, copy from Parramatta Soldiers, Cumberland Argus, 1920
Private Mallinson was the second youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. George Mallinson of William Street, Granville, New South Wales. Prior to enlistment he was an engineer at Clyde Engineering works. Prior to the outbreak of the war he went to England on a trip, whilst there he heard news of the illness of his mother and returned home, but his mother passed away before he was able to reach home. His youngest brother George Richerby Mallinson (service number 7767) also was on active service with the Artillery. At the age of 24, he joined Australian Imperial Force, 7 Infantry Battalion 22 Reinforcements. He embarked from Sydney aboard SS Port Napier on 17 November 1916. Disembarking at Devonport, England on 29 January 1917 for a period of training, he proceeded overseas to France in April 1917. Taken on strength on 18 May 1917, he was transferred to the 7 Infantry Battalion. In September, he wrote a letter to his father which was subsequently published in The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (17 November 1917, page 10) stating “he was going to action shortly”. Sadly this was his last letter home as he was reported missing from the field on 4 October and a week later official reports stated he had been killed in action at Westhoek Ridge, Belgium, on 4 October 1917. He was aged 25. He was buried in the Oxford Road Cemetery, Belgium.
Naga Durga Devi Kona, Volunteer Research Assistant, City of Parramatta, Parramatta Heritage Centre, 2017
References
The biographical information has been researched and compiled from the following resources:
- Australian War Memorial – https://www.awm.gov.au/
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission – http://www.cwgc.org/
- National Archives of Australia – http://www.naa.gov.au/
- National Library of Australia Trove Digitised Newspapers Database – http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper
- Parramatta and District soldiers who fought in the great war, 1914-1919. (1920). Parramatta, N.S.W. : The Cumberland Argus Ltd. – https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9iAn5sxT0i8ZHgyZjR2UHRxVUU/edit
- The National Archives (UK) – http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
- University of New South Wales Canberra The AIF Project – https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/index.html