James Spall was born in Ballarat East and was a Labourer by trade when he enlisted in the 14th Battalion, F Company on 9 September 1914 at the age of 21. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on 22 December 1914. . He found himself in Egypt for further training before serving at Gallipoli with the 14th Battalion. On August 30th he was withdrawn, due to illness, to the Beach Casualty Clearing Station, and then evacuated to Mudros where rheumatism was diagnosed. Within days he was transferred to hospital at Heliopolis in Egypt where he was reported as dangerously ill with meningitis. When he had recovered sufficiently he embarked from Suez on January 20th 1916 to return to Australia on the Karoola, disembarking at Melbourne on February 21st 1916. He was discharged on December 27th 1916 as æmedically unfit – myelitis'.
Tree No. 250