James McNulty (abt. 1860 - 1923)

Born about 1860 in Ireland

Died 1923 at about age 63 in Richmond, Victoria, Australia

Biography

James was born about 1860 in Ireland, believed to be the son of James and Margaret McNalty.

On 21 Feb 1917 James applied to become an Australian War Worker under a joint Australian government/ British government scheme to supply labourers and Navvys for War work in the UK. At the time James was married with 1 dependent child and was living in Richmond, Victoria. He was a platelayer working for the Victorian Government Railways at Camberwell, Victoria. He claimed to be 48 (so, born about 1869), but was almost certainly considerably older.

He was accepted and his agreement was signed on 30 Mar 1917. He was issued with Australian War Worker Badge No. 88 and embarked on the A.23 "Suffolk" from Sydney, NSW on 24 Apr 1917, arriving at Plymouth, England on 15 Aug 1917.

James commenced work with Vickers Ltd at Sheffield as a labourer on 27 Aug 1917. In Jun 1918, James left Vickers without permission after an internal transfer, saying he was not going to be knocked about from pillar to post for starvation wages (he was earning 11 & 3/4 pence per hour). Vickers were unhappy and complained.

After producing medical certificates to show his health was suffering at Sheffield he commenced work at New Mechanical Transport Depot, Slough, Buckinghamshire on 02 Jul 1918. There was considerable confusion among authorities who had lost track of him, as no record of his placement by an employment exchanges was made.

James returned to Australia on the SS "Barambah", departing England from the Royal Albert Docks on 23 Dec 1918. His agreement was terminated as complete on arrival in Melbourne, Victoria on 22 Feb 1919. He returned to his home in Richmond, VIC.

He probably died at Richmond in 1923, aged 63.

Research Note

1923 death is "best fit" for deaths in Victoria. There was another James McNulty who died at Kew in 1928, but he was a Roman Catholic (this man claimed to be C of E) and was stated to have been born in Victoria.

Sources

• WW1 Australian War Worker Service File - National Archives of Australia - McNULTY James - Munitions Worker Number 88 - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6439816

• Death (probably) - Victoria BDM Death index - Event: deaths; Registration number: 16681 / 1923; Family name: MCNULTY; Given name(s): James; Place of event: RICHMOND, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Margaret; Mother's family name at birth: MCNULTY; Father's Name: MCNULTY James