L- Cpl James Andrew Frederick Simonsen

by Jim Rowley

Driver James Andrew Frederick Simonsen, 6th Field Ambulance.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rowley.

James Andrew Frederick Simonsen was born at Ascot Vale on 21 June, 1893. He attended the Moonee Ponds West State School and at the end of his schooling he took up a plumbing apprenticeship at the Cordite Factory in nearby Maribyrnong.   War broke out in Europe in 1914, with Australia immediately joining the affray. On 12 January 1915, at the age of 21, James enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). In this, he was followed a six months later by his brother George Simonsen and his future brother-in-law George Ross, the latter two serving together in the 4 Light Horse Regiment of the 12 Reinforcement. James however was in the 1 Reinforcement of the 6 Field Ambulance Unit, and after initial training was dispatched on board His Majesty’s Troop Ship (HMAT) Afric on 22 May 1915.

George farewells his brother James in 1915.  George was to follow a few

months later. Courtesy of Jim Rowley.

Many of the units sent to the war consisted of men from the same town or district. But there was an air of urgency to get the first reinforcements into the affray and James’ unit cobbled together men from all over Victoria. The AIF roll shows James’ occupation as labourer and his unit variously contains two butchers, a clerk, a groom, a carpenter, a grocer’s driver, a horse driver and a grazier as well as two more labourers. There is also Harold Beer who describes his occupation as “Traveller” and an accountant from North Malvern named Andrew Rochford Hume who, perhaps by his profession or perhaps by virtue of his age (he was 30) is named as the Sergeant in charge of the unit. The rest of the men are variously aged between 19 and 24 except for the groom John Coffey who, at 32, is the veteran of the outfit. None of the men were married.

While training in Australia, James was paid five shillings (50 cents) per day. However after embarking the rate was three shillings per day paid to his family in Australia and two shillings per day to himself with a further one shilling per day being paid at the completion of his service.

James Simonsen, right, and a friend at Broadmeadows Camp, 1915. Courtesy of Jim Rowland.

Broadmeadows Camp circa January 1915. Australian War Memorial Collection.

A card James sent to his sweetheart, Katie Ross of 21 Epsom Rd, Ascot Vale,

The inside of the card, "To Kate with love from Jim"  Courtesy of Jim Rowley.

James served at Gallipoli and in Egypt and France, but afterwards did not speak of his time as a medic and we therefore know little of this part of his life apart from the generic information available through reference books. From these we find that:

• At the beginning of August 1915, the Egyptian Army Barracks, Abbassia, were taken over by No. 1 Australian General Hospital. Accommodation was prepared for a few hundred people and the 6 Field Ambulance was installed as staff.
• In September of 1915, the 6 Field Ambulance relieved the 1 Field Ambulance at Gallipoli and were assigned specifically to “work” the area known as Lone Pine.

Scott’s Point Dressing Station at Wire Gully, Gallipoli was operated by 6 Field Ambulance.

Here we see  (L to R) Privates Thomas Cruise and William Stone and Sergeant Wearne

all wearing field ambulance armbands. Note the stretchers against the sandbagged

walls to the right and left of the shelter.  http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/A01880

One of Jim's cards, Gallipoli, Christmas, 1915.   Courtesy of Jim Rowley.

Jim Simonsen on the right with his friend, Staff Sergeant

"Shorty" Jackson, probably taken in Egypt. Courtesy of Jim Rowley.

At war’s end, James held the rank of Lance Corporal. His war record shows that he was twice hospitalised with tonsillitis and that he was once fined three days pay for being absent without leave for 24 hours.   James returned to Australia on 12 January 1919 and was finally discharged five months later on 9 June. He had served in the AIF for a total of 1,610 days including 1,427 days of service abroad. He was awarded The British War Medal 1914-1920, the 1914-15 Star and the Victory Medal, all three relating to service in a theatre of war.  In 1967 the Gallipoli Medallion was awarded posthumously to his widow.

On Wednesday 27 August Jim took part in a 'Welcome Home' entertainment and presentation of medals, along with 23 other returned soldiers, from the Maribyrnong-Bagotville Hill Soldiers' Reception Committee. This took place at the Council Chambers of the Royal Agricultural Society at the Showgrounds in Ascot Vale.   The entertainment consisted of singing of old favorites, and some humorous recitations.   The program of the evening can be seen here by scrolling down.    Jim's name was later placed on the war memorial erected by the same committee in a new Reserve which became known as Victory Park, opposite the Showgrounds.

James Simonsen's Discharge Certificate, 9 June 1919.  Courtesy of Jim Rowley.

Evidently James teeth had suffered during the war and on 18 June 1919 he paid a Collins Street dentist the sum of 14 pounds and 14 shillings ($29.40), an enormous sum for that time, presumably to remove all of his teeth and fashion a set of dentures for him.

The workers at the Cordite Factory.  Jim Simonsen is in the top row, second from the right. 

For further identifications see Cordite Factory Honour Board.   Courtesy of Jim Rowley.

Returning to his pre-war job at the Cordite factory, James found himself no longer able to tolerate the fumes which were an inevitable part of plumbing at that time and so transferred ‘up the hill’ to the Ordnance Factory in nearby Wests Road, remaining in employment here for the rest of his life.

On 16 June 1920, James married his sweetheart Katie Ross, with whom he had maintained correspondence during the war. The bride was aged 26 and he was 5 days short of his 27th birthday. Children soon followed with four being born to the couple over the next nine years.

James and Kate Simonsen with their children (L to R) Jimmy,

George, Mavis and Jean, circa 1931.

By 1925, the family had moved into No. 2 Quarters which was attached to the Ordnance Factory but located around the corner in Williamson Road, Maribyrnong. This also marks a period of increasing affluence for James and his young family and in November of that year, shortly after entering their new house, he paid 27/6 ($2.75) for a “Broadcast Listener’s Licence” which was a requirement at that time for all people owning a wireless set. A further mark of improved circumstances was the purchase, in 1933 of a block of land at what is now 1839 Point Nepean Road, Tootgarook. Over the next five years they built a small four room house which they later extended and which provided them with a holiday home to use on weekends and during holidays.

Australia had learned some lessons from its lack of preparedness in World War I and so the Maribyrnong Ordnance factory took on increasing importance. At its peak it contained, amongst other sections:

• Number 1 Machine Shop
• Number 2 Machine Shop
• The Workshop
• The Forge
• Electrical Section
• The Tool Room

As war clouds gathered in the late 1930’s, the factory even moved into the production of weapons. James' role at the factory also increased in importance as he took on the role first of Assistant Foreman and then of Foreman in charge of Transport for the factory. In this capacity he occupied an office just inside the complex. Initially transport was carried out by horse and dray with a stable for the horses being located at the corner of Williamson and Wests Roads. However, by the time of the Second World War they were employing both light and heavy trucks for this purpose.

As foreman, James was on call 24 hours per day. One night, one of his trucks was involved in an accident and he had to travel to the scene to retrieve its load. When his children awoke the next morning there were two broken boxes of ammunition on their front veranda and men were dispatched to retrieve these later in the day.

James Simonsen  is on the left in this picture, in the entrance to the Cordite Factory, Maribyrnong. 

The building on the right is the guard house. Courtesy of Jim Rowley.

James Simonsen's Identity Card, Courtesy of Jim Rowley.

By occupying a house owned by the factory, James was always close on hand to his work place. Equally this afforded him the opportunity of coming home for lunch each day. After lunch he would declare that he would “just have 40 winks” whereupon he would lay upon the bed, place a newspaper over his head and sleep for half an hour before returning to work. Younger daughter Mavis would sometimes lay down alongside him whereupon he would lay a newspaper over her. Ostensibly this was to help her sleep although later evidence would suggest that it may just have been to keep her quiet!

At the end of their street were some common fields wherein several residents of the street each kept a cow. This provided milk daily and was also used to manufacture butter for the family. The Simonsen’s cow was named Biddy and the lady from the end house nearest the paddock was named Biddy Thomas. As the Simonsen children approached the paddock they would call “Biddy” at the top of their voices. It had the desired effect and Biddy Thomas would tell them off, threatening that if her cow had a calf she would call it Katie after their mother.

James had a great love of ice cream which, in those days, was commonly bought in a bowl and consumed in the shop. When he and Mavis had each consumed a bowlful he was frequently known to ask “should we have another”?

For some time James had suffered from ulcers and in July of 1942 an ulcer on his duodenum burst and he was rushed by ambulance to Royal Melbourne Hospital. He did not survive the experience and died unexpectedly on 17 July 1942 at the age of 49. He had been at work one Saturday with no apparent sign of injury and was buried the following Saturday.  Parts of the obituary which appeared in The Essendon Gazette of July 30, 1942 noted the following:

The residents of Maribyrnong, the surrounding districts and employees of the munitions factory and transport section received a great shock when it became known that “Dooley” Simonsen had passed away ... A man of quiet disposition, he lived for his family and his home, but was always in readiness to do anything for charity. The funeral ... was a very large one, more than 40 cars following; a very fine tribute to a man who was so respected by his fellow men. So many wreaths, 80 in all, were sent that a floral car had to be used. Among the principal wreaths were: Masonic Lodge (Victorian Felix), Transport Office, Foremen of Ordnance Factory, Staff of Ordnance Stores, Electrical Section, Transport and Ammunition Factory (Footscray), Clerical Staff (Transport Office), Edgar P.L., Motor Transport Munitions Drivers, I. McPherson (Carriers, Footscray), Horse Drivers (Maribyrnong) and many personal wreaths. His old mate Shorty Jackson is also mentioned as one of the pall bearers. James was buried with full masonic and military rites at the Fawkner Cemetery.