Just Another Pair Of Socks

Melton District ANZACS

James Francis HORNBUCKLE

Personal

Born: 24 July, 1882

Birth registration: Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages Registration No. 4978

Birthplace: Romsey

Parents: Father: Arthur Hornbuckle (d. 1927; Argus);
Mother: Mary Long

Died: 12 July, 1966

Place of death: Heidelberg (Possibly Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital)

Burial place: New Cheltenham Cemetery

Awards and Honours

  • Meritorious Service Medal
  • 1914-1915 Star
  • British War Medal 1914-20
  • Victory Medal

Battalions

6th Field Ambulance7th Field Ambulance

Events

Enlistment

Regimental Service Number: 3165

Enlistment date: 15 March, 1915 Melbourne

Age at enlistment: 34 years, 4 months

Address at enlistment: Woomelang, Victoria

Religion: Church of England

Marital Status: Single

Next of kin: Father: Arthur Hornbuckle, Woomelang, Victoria

Physical Description: Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Weight: 14 stones
Complexion: Fair
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Distinctive marks: Some small scars, B.M. (birth mark) right shoulder

Embarkation ship: HMAT A31 Ajana.

Rank: Sergeant, C.S.M., Warrant Officer ii

Return Date: 2 June, 1919

Return Vessel: HT Beltana.

Arrival at Australia: 19 July, 1919.At: Melbourne

Discharge Date: 4 November, 1919

War Service Summary

29/03/1915 - Promoted to Sergeant
30/08/1915 - Proceed to join Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli
19/03/1916 - Proceed to join British Expeditionary Force, ex Alexandria
27/03/1916 - Disembarked Marsailles, France
26/11/1916 - Admitted to 6th Field Ambulance; Bronchitis
03/12/1916 - Admitted to 6th Field Ambulance; Bronchitis
20/09/1917 - Proceeded to England, ex Rouelles, France; Medical Report on an Invalid shows Epilepsy; fits since end of 1917.
12/12/1917 - Proceed Rouelles, France
19/01/1918 - Rejoined 6th Field Ambulance, France
12/10/1918 - Promoted C.S.M., Warrant Officer ii
06/11/1918 - Granted leave to U.K.
03/12/1918 - Rejoined unit from leave, stationed in France
15/03/1919 - Attached to 5th Field Ambulance
28/03/1919 - Fit for General Service
18/04/1919 - Marched out to England, ex France
04/11/1919 - Discharged from A.I.F., medically unfit
09/10/1920 - Received 1914-1915 Star at Melton, witnessed by Gordon Wilson

War Service Commemerated

Life After the War

Names of wife and children:
21/01/1921 James married Emma Louisa Wilson in Melton. Electoral Rolls 1924, 1931, 1936/37, 1942 show both parties present.
One son, Rex Wilson
At age 65, James married Maud Galway. No Issue from this marriage.

Place/s of residence:
1903 Electoral Roll - Pentland Hills, Myrniong (with Annie and William Hornbuckle)
1909 Electoral Roll - Willangie, Sea Lake (with William Arthur, Arthur and Thomas all farmers and Charles Blacksmith)
1914 Electoral Roll - Rochester; saddler
1924 Electoral Roll - Croxton Park, overseer; Emma Louisa, home duties
1931 Electoral Roll - Aveleigh, Melton, farmer
1936/37 Electoral Roll- Gisborne Rd, Bacchus Marsh, retired grazier
1942 Electoral Roll - 222 Ballarat Rd., Footscray North, ganger; Emma Louisa, home duties
1949 and 1954 Electoral Rolls - 222 Ballarat Rd., ganger; Maud, home duties
1963 Electoral Roll - 24 Inlet St., S 13, Flinders, Carrum, JFH nil occupation, Maud, home duties

Occupations:
Pre WW1 - Saddler, Post WW1 farmer, retired grazier, ganger, retired

Date of death:
12/07/1966 at Heidelberg. Registration # 14142
(Possibly Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital)

Place of burial: New Cheltenham Cemetery

Other relevant information:
02/08/1928 - HORNBUCKLE, James Francis, b.1882, Farmer, Aveleigh Melton, initiated into the Melton Lodge
1929 J. F. Hornbuckle was elected Melton Shire President.

Positions held in Melton by Hornbuckle family members:
1905 - JP; Melton Police Court
1908 - President, Melton Shire Council
1917 - Vice president Melton Coursing Club
1900, 1907, 1917 - Councillor, Melton Shire Council

The Hornbuckle family was also connected with the Ouyen district.

Photograph available at the Australian War Memorial

Additional Information

The Bacchus Marsh Express
Saturday 20 June 1914 p 2
MELTON COURSING.
The Footscray District Coursing Club had very varied weather for their Champion Stakes, started on Saturday last, on the Melton Park Estate, the property of Messrs. Farrell & Sons. There was a good attendance of visitors. The hares were very wild after the very strong wind of the previous day and night. Sixteen courses were run off for the day. On Sunday night we had a nice rain, which made the going much better for the dogs on Monday, and at the conclusion of the day there were two courses to run off on Tuesday morning.
……….
J. F. Hornbuckle's Dark Star beat W. Gwatkin's ns Shanghai. ……….
First ties - ….. Dark Star beat Fair Chance.……..
Second ties-Captain Mae beat Cloudy;. Morn.: Lady Kyogle beat Dark Star.

The Argus
Tuesday 8 July 1919, P 5
Beltana and Bremen.
The names of Victorian troops on the s.s. Beltana, which left England on June 2, and on the s.s. Bremen, which sailed on June 4, are given in the accompanying lists:—
ON S.S. BELTANA. …..
NURSING STAFF.
C.S.M. J. F. Hornbuckle, W. O.

The Argus
Thursday 22 December, 1927, P 1
HORNBUCKLE -On the 21st December, at his son's residence, Bronzewing, Arthur, husband of late Mary, and loving father of Sara, Thomas, James, Charles, William, Fanny. Mary, Olive, Robert. (Interred at Donald December 17.)

The Argus
Thursday 5 July 1934 p 5
OUYEN - James Hornbuckle of Bronzewing has been admitted to the Ouyen Hospital suffering from injuries received in a football match against Tempsy

The Argus
Wednesday, 29 November, 1933, P 11
Fat Lambs …..
Gippsland and Northern Co operative Co Ltd
sold -…….. J Hornbuckle Melton at 12/ Shorn-190

Sources

Australian War Memorial
Service Record
Nominal Roll
Newspaper accounts