James Nash Button (SN 5632) was born in Ballarat where he attended the Macarthur Street State School while living in Brougham Street. He was a 24 year old labourer when he enlisted in Ballarat on September 6th 1915. His initial training was with the 14th Depot Battalion in Ballarat before he was posted to the 2nd Field Company Engineers with which he embarked from Sydney aboard the Runic in January 1916. He sailed first to Egypt and then on to France in November, at the rank of Lance Corporal. He suffered shrapnel wounds to both legs in February 1917 and was wounded again in October. Whilst he recovered from his wounds, his general health declined, suffering from myalgia and rheumatism, and it was determined that he should be returned to Australia. He returned aboard the Llanstephen Castle, disembarked at Melbourne in April 1918 and was discharged as 'medically unfit' on May 24th 1918.

Lucas’s Staffs Appreciation of Brave Men, the original Avenue register, records his name as James H. Button