James Batch (SN 3260) born at Ballarat, was a 26 year old carpenter when he enlisted at Ballarat on July 29th1915. He embarked aboard the Nestor on October 11th and sailed to Egypt where he was assigned to the 58th Infantry Battalion. He was moved to France in June 1916 and a month later he suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot to his foot. While recovering in England in 1917 he twice went absent without leave for long periods that led to him being declared an illegal absentee. Once apprehended, he was sentenced to 14 months detention, but this was reduced, and he was able to rejoin his unit in France in April 1918. In May he suffered a shrapnel wound to his left arm and was again evacuated to England before he was returned to Australia aboard the Borda. He disembarked at Melbourne on December 18th 1918 and was discharged ‘medically unfit, wounded’ on February 13th1919.