4th Light Horse Regiment

Memorial Association

Jim Moodie was a 23 year-old labourer from Burrumbeet when he enlisted at Ballarat on 5 Jan 1915.  His medical form has him at 5’ 91/4” tall, with auburn hair and a ruddy complexion.  After training at Seymour, he left Australia on 10 Aug with the 7th reinforcements aboard HMAT Persia.  By October 1915 Jim had been reunited with his two brothers, 452 Jack (John Thomas) Moodie and 443 Henry Alexander Moodie, on the Gallipoli Peninsula.  All three brothers were serving with the 4th Light Horse.  Henry, a painter, and Jack, a carpenter, had signed up in Aug 1914.

All of the Moodie brothers were good footballers, both before and after the war. In May 1918 Jim, along with his brother Jack, now a lieutenant, were members of the winning 4th LH Brigade football premiership side.

During his service overseas Jim Moodie spent much time in and out of hospital in Abbassia and Damacus, a victim of malaria, like so many other Light Horsemen. The three Moodies all seemed to have escaped any serious wounds but they were hammered by disease.  Jack also had contracted malaria and Henry suffered from gastritis.

In 1918 on the 30 Sep, while serving near the walled village of Sa’sa (now in Syria), his gallantry earned him a Distinguished Conduct Medal.  The records show that Acting Sergeant J.A. Moodie, while leading a small flank patrol ‘this non-commissioned officer came upon a party of 122 enemy, equipped with four machine guns waiting to enfilade the LH flank. He with his patrol of three men, in tandem with another NCO also with just three men, with great dash and determination, charged the enemy, whom they dispersed and forced to surrender.’

Both Cpl Jim Moodie and his brother, Lt. Jack Moodie were among those Light Horsemen first into Damascus 1 Oct 1918.

Just a month after this action, he was listed as dangerously ill with malaria, but recovered.

Jim embarked from Suez on the Troop Transport “S.S. Lancashire” on 19 Feb 1919 for Australia.  He was discharged from military service on 27 Jun 1919.

The Burrumbeet Football Club had been looking forward to having the Moodie brothers back.  In 1918 the local paper reported that Jack Moodie had been elected captain of the club in absentia, just based on the news of his eminent return to Australia.

Getting back home to a healthier (and safer) lifestyle must have helped the three brothers recover from their debilitating illnesses.  The Ballarat Star, in Oct 1921, shows Learmonth just beating Burrumbeet by just a straight kick, to be one goal up in a close and low scoring grand final.  Henry played in the centre and Jack was rover.  Jim was a goal umpire and another Moodie was one of the time keepers. It seems likely that this was the youngest brother Gilbert Moodie.  Gilbert also wanted to enlist, but his father would not sign the papers, possibly as having four sons in the Great War was too many to risk

Like many other returned men, Jim took up a Soldier Settlement block.  His was on Mt Mitchell, these days about 30 minutes drive from Burrumbeet.  And, just like so many others, Jim did not stay on as a farmer.  By the late 1930s he was working in mining a bit further to the north, at Caralulup*, south west of Talbot in Victoria.  Relatively not all that far from Burrumbeet.

Jim passed away on 27 Oct 1954, aged 64.  He has Memorial 227976431 in the RSL section of the Ballarat New Cemetery.  He is also remembered in the Ballarat Avenue of Honour.  His tree is No. 3202.  Heading “west” and then “north” it is located 16.8 kms from the Arch of Victory, on the right just after the Western Hwy Overpass.; not too far up the road from Burrumbeet.

Prepared from material researched by Susan Meyer, 4thLHRMA President

*Caralulup Creek had been part of the alluvial fields around Talbot during the Goldrush. Deep mining at Caralulup Creek was re-commenced in the late 1930s when the Talbot Alluvials Company sunk two shafts.  For several years the company was a major employer of men.  By 1936 the Company had 160 men working its No. 1 Shaft. (Dept of Natural Resources and Environment, 1998).

1104 Cpl Jim (James Alfoncis) Moodie DCM

Jim Moodie

Three 4th Light Horse Moodie

brothers Jack, Henry & Jim

1918 4th LH Brigade premiership football side - Weekly Times photo.  The Moodies are highlighted, centre Cpl J A Moodie, right Lt J T Moodie

Letter Jim’s father informing him of Jim’s DCM

Light Horse troops and locals in the town of Sa’sa in Sep 1918.  

Photo from the AWM collection

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