James Cardwell was born at Blackpool on the 1st March 1877. He was living with his parents in Blackpool in 1891 according to the 1891 census.

He marries Elizabeth Hannah Duxbury at the Holy Trinity Church south Shore Blackpool in 1897

His first child Margaret Ellen Knoles Cardwell is born in 1898.

On the 1901 census there is a reference to James Cardwell born in 1877 living in Blackpool with his wife Elizabeth and a 5 month old son Norman.

In 1911 according to the census he is still living in Blackpool as a lodger, now single, and working as a billiard marker.

In April 1912 there is record of James Cardwell arriving in Melbourne on the SS Irishman. The age ties in.

He enlisted in Melbourne on the 1 September 1914 aged 37 years 6 months. He is listed as single and his occupation is Grocer/steward.

On enlisted he  joins the 1st Div HQ staff as a private. He appears to be seving as a steward within the H/Q

He embarks overseas on the SS Orvieto  ex Melbourne on the 20 October 1914 to Alexandria.

He is appointed as Batman to Col.Robert Anderson on the 22 Jan 1915. Later Brigadier General Sir Robert Anderson.

Promoted to Lance Corporal on the 8 March 1915

His next appearence is when he is admitted to the Bulford Military Hospital on the 20 December 1916. He is placed on the Syphilis Register.

He spends 23 days at Bulford and is then transferred to Parkhouse on the 11 Jan 1917 where he spends 34 days being discharged on the 14 Feb 1917.

On the 28th Feb 1917 he is discharged in London the reason ' Permanantly unfit for service at home or abroard'

It appears that the syphilis was contracted 1910 according to his medical record. For this reason he had no loss of pay during the period he spent in Hospital.

He was certainly alive on the 28 Feb 1917 and his final and total payout was 32 pounds. He signs a release form to the Australian Government.

He died in Blackpool of old age in September 1954