William James (Australian general) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William James
Lieutenant William James in November 1952, during the Korean War
Nickname(s)	Digger
Born	(1930-05-14)14 May 1930 Shepparton, Victoria
Died	16 October 2015(2015-10-16) (aged 85) Brisbane, Queensland
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1948–1984
Rank	Major General
Unit	1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Royal Australian Armoured Corps
Commands held	8th Field Ambulance
Battles/wars	Korean War Vietnam War
Awards	Companion of the Order of Australia Officer of the Order of Australia (Military) Member of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Officer of the Order of St John
Other work	National President of the RSL (1993–97)

Major General William Brian "Digger" James (1930–2015) was an Australian soldier and doctor. He served in the Australian Army during two major conflicts: the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He was known for his bravery and his dedication to helping others.

Early Life and Nickname

William James was born in May 1930 in Shepparton, Victoria. His father, Thomas James, was a farmer who came from Ireland. William went to Grahamvale State School and Shepparton High School. He got his nickname "Digger" when he was only ten months old. Someone put a slouch hat on his head, and the name stuck even before he joined the army!

Military and Medical Journey

Training at Duntroon

After finishing school, William James went to the Royal Military College, Duntroon. This is a special college where people train to become army officers. He finished his training in 1951.

Serving in the Korean War

In 1952, James was sent to the Korean War as a platoon commander with the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). A platoon is a small group of soldiers.

On November 7, during a battle called the Second Battle of Maryang San, he led twelve men to capture an enemy outpost. By accident, his group walked into a minefield. One soldier died, and four others were hurt. William James himself lost his left foot.

Even though he was badly injured, James used a shoelace to stop the bleeding from his leg. He then helped organize his men to get out of the danger zone. He called for help on the radio and waited three hours to be taken away because there weren't enough stretchers.

He had surgery at a special American hospital called a MASH unit in Korea. After that, he was flown to Japan for more treatment. He spent four months recovering there. In December, he returned to Australia and spent 14 months getting better at a hospital in Melbourne.

For his brave actions that day, William James received the Military Cross on March 3, 1953. This award is given for showing great courage in battle. The award said that his leadership and bravery were an "inspiration" to his fellow soldiers.

Becoming a Doctor

After leaving the hospital, James changed to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. He worked at a training school for a while.

His time in military hospitals made him interested in medicine. In 1957, he left the Army to study to become a doctor at the Sydney Medical School. He graduated in 1963. After working as a doctor in a hospital for a bit, he rejoined the Army as a medical officer.

Serving in the Vietnam War

William James was promoted to major and sent to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. From January 1968 to January 1969, he was in charge of the 8th Field Ambulance. This unit provided medical care to soldiers. He also worked as the main doctor for the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat.

Because he had been wounded himself in Korea, he understood what injured soldiers were going through. He used his own experience to encourage and help patients, especially those hurt by land mines.

In April 1969, he was given another award, the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for his excellent service in Vietnam.

Later Military Roles

In 1971, James helped a British medical team during a difficult time in Nigeria. For this, he became an Officer of the Order of Saint John.

Back in Australia, he held important medical leadership roles in the Army. He was in charge of Army Medical Services in Queensland from 1971 to 1975. Then, he became the director at Army Headquarters from 1975 to 1981. In 1981, he was promoted to major general. He was the director-general of Army Health Services until he retired from the army in 1984.

Life After the Army

After leaving the Army, William James continued to serve his country in different ways. From 1993 to 1997, he was the National President of the Returned Services League (RSL). The RSL is an organization that supports people who have served in the military.

He also served on the council of the Australian War Memorial from 1993 to 2000, and was its president from 1999 to 2000. He was also the chairman of the Australian Light Horse Association. His face was even used as the model for one of the soldiers on the Light Horse memorial in Beersheba, Israel. He unveiled this memorial in 2008.

William James believed that Australia should remain a constitutional monarchy, meaning the Queen or King should remain the head of state. He was part of a group called Australians for Constitutional Monarchy.

Personal Life

William James was married to Barbara for over 60 years. They had four children together. He passed away on October 16, 2015.

Honours and Awards

William James received many important awards for his service and bravery.

	Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)	1998 Australia Day Honours
	Officer of the Order of Australia (military) (AO [Mil])	1985 Queen's Birthday Honours
	Member of the Order of the British Empire (military) (MBE [Mil])	ANZAC Day 1969
	Military Cross (MC)	3 March 1953
	Officer of the Order of Saint John	1971
	Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975	with clasps Korea and Vietnam
	Korea Medal
	United Nations Service Medal for Korea
	Vietnam Medal
	Defence Force Service Medal
	National Medal (Australia)	25 February 1980
	Australian Defence Medal
	Vietnam Campaign Medal	Republic of Vietnam
	Infantry Combat Badge
	Honorary Physician to the Queen (QHP)

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