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The Cairns brothers
Private James Marquis Cairns, known as "Sugar", was born in 1892 at Eaglehawk to George and Martha Cairns, nee Attwater.
He enlisted on August 8, 1914, in Morphettville, SA, and was issued service number 485. His address was 113 Bromide Street, Broken Hill, NSW, and his next of kin was his father, George Cairns, Fry Street, Eaglehawk.
Private Cairns embarked from Adelaide on October 20, 1914, per HMAT Ascanius A11 with the 10th Infantry Battalion. He was wounded in action at the Dardanelles and returned to Australia.
Recovering from his wounds, James Cairns re-enlisted and was issued service number 4370. His mother Mrs Cairns, Fry Street, Eaglehawk, was listed as his next of kin. James embarked from Melbourne on April 23, 1916, per RMS Malwa with the 23 Infantry Battalion - 9 to 12 Reinforcements.
He was wounded at Fleurbaix and again invalided home, and following his recovery commenced employment at Parliament House as a messenger.
On January 8, 1918, J.M. Cairns again donned the khakis with the driving ambition "to do his bit". Private Cairns was the first Eaglehawk-born native to return following the memorable landing on Gallipoli.
Prior to the outbreak of World War I, he had worked in several mines in the borough, before leaving around 1913 for Wonthaggi. Later he went to Tasmania and subsequently journeyed to Broken Hill, where he followed his usual occupation as a miner before his enlistment. "Sugar" married Florence Anderson in 1920 and died at Heidelberg on June 20, 1966, aged 74.
The Bendigonian, May 27, 1915:
PRIVATE J.M. CAIRNS. Private J.M. Cairns, who was wounded at the Dardanelles, is a son of Mr George Cairns, of Fry Street, Eaglehawk. He was better known amongst his comrades, with whom he was very popular, as "Sugar" Cairns. He is a native of Eaglehawk, and is 23 years of age.
After working at several mines in the borough for some years, he left about three years ago for Wonthaggi, but afterwards went to Tasmania. He subsequently journeyed to Broken Hill, where he followed his usual occupation as a miner. A short time later he answered the call for volunteers, and enlisted with the First Australian Expeditionary Force in Adelaide.
Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell Citizen, January 11, 1918:
"A Dinkhum." James M. Cairns. 25 years of age, has proved himself a “fair dinkhum” soldier. His private address is 319 Glenferrie Road, Glenferrie, and when not in khaki is employed as a messenger at State Parliament House. He first joined the colours in August 1914, and served at Gallipoli in the landing, where he was wounded in the arm and chest, being invalided to Australia.
He re-enlisted, and was sent to France, receiving wounds at Fleurbaix, which caused him to be again sent back to Australia, and he was discharged for the second time on January 5, 1917. Cairns, feeling fit again, and having his country's good at heart, re-enlisted on January 8, 1918, and was passed for the third time to "do his bit." He has served two years 130 days, but wounds and service has not damped his ambitions.
One of his brothers, L.G. Cairns, was severely wounded in France and subsequently died in the Caulfield hospital.
Private Leslie George Cairns was born in 1894 at Eaglehawk to George and Martha Cairns, nee Attwater. He enlisted at Bendigo on January 31, 1916, and embarked from Melbourne on April 1 per HMAT Suffolk A23 with the 6 Infantry Battalion - 13 to 18 Reinforcements.
Leslie was aged 21 and a miner from Fry Street, Eaglehawk, at the time of his enlistment. His father, G. Cairns, of the same address, was his next of kin. Leslie had been employed at several local mines and was a keen sportsman, playing football and also shooting competitively.
Private Cairns was sent to Egypt with the 6th Battalion 16th re-inforcements, but while in Suez he became ill with pleurisy and spent 10 weeks in hospital. On recovering he was transferred to the 59th Battalion, with whom he went to England to continue his training on Salisbury Plain. Leslie’s health continued to decline and following an attack of appendicitis he again came down with pleurisy. His condition worsened to the point where he had to be operated on to drain the infection from his lungs, and he remained seriously ill for a number of months.
A medical board found that his illness was a result of natural causes, but that it had been aggravated by active service, and he was sent home. His transport ship arrived in Port Melbourne in April 1917, and from there he was taken immediately to the Caulfield Military Hospital.
Leslie Cairns never left the hospital, dying there on September 20, 1917. He was laid to rest in the Eaglehawk cemetery, with a large service attended by returned and current soldiers as well as family and friends. His death was later certified as being due to his war service.
One month later, his father died and was buried in the same grave as his son.
Source: Bev Hanson
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