James Joseph Croghan
Rank:
Driver
Serial No:
Serial No. 235
Regiment:
1st Field Ambulance, 14th Field Ambulance, 22nd Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Brigade, & 21st Field Artillery Brigade
Suburb:
Campbelltown
James Joseph Croghan - Information
James Joseph was born in Campbelltown 1894 to Patrick and Julia Croghan. When the war started, he was living on Liverpool Rd in Bankstown with his father. Here, James found work as a labourer, before signing up to the AIF in Sydney, at the age of 20. James enlisted on the 24th of August 1914, becoming a Driver with the 1st Field Ambulance. His unit left Sydney Harbour on the 20th of October for service overseas.
After his arrival in Egypt, James headed for the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 5th of April 1915. James came ashore with the infantry on the 25th of April. He and his unit immediately went to work saving the lives of their fellow soldiers throughout the campaign. When the weather started to turn cold, James was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis in Egypt in September with influenza. The following month, he was stationed to the Mustapha Base, before rejoining his unit at Mudros on the 28th of October. In February 1916, James was transferred to the 14th Field Ambulance at Serapeum. Then in March, he was transferred to the 22nd Battalion, and then the 1st Field Artillery Brigade at Tel-el-Kebir.
In late March, James was shipped from Alexandria to France. He was then taken on strength to the 21st FAB on the 15th of May, providing artillery support for operations. In January 1917, he was transferred to the 1st FAB. On the 9th of July, he was promoted to Corporal when the existing Corporal was taken out of the lines. Because of James' extensive war service since 1914, serving at Gallipoli and on the Western Front, he was granted special home leave. In October 1918, James was sent home to Australia via Southampton. Luckily while James was at sea the war ended.