James Guy Fawkes was born in Peckham, Surrey, England, the son of Charles and Ellen Catherine Fawkes, nee Davies. He was born in 1885 and when he enlisted on 18 July, 1915, he was 30 years and seven months old, a single man, working as a Draper's Assistant, and living at 144 Powlett Street, East Melbourne. He initially gave as his next of kin, his mother, Mrs. Ellen Glazebrook and recorded his father as 'address unknown'. His later next of kin was his sister, Beatrice Mary Fawkes, who became Mrs. C. Kinds, of 136 Clarendon Street, East Melbourne.

He was sent for training at Seymour and attached to the 1 Reinforcments, 24th Battalion. They embarked fro Egypt on 16 November, 1915, on board HMAT Commonwealth A73. On arrival at Suez, they marched in to Serapeum, where on 24 February,  James Fawkes was transferred to the 8th Battalion, part of the 2nd Brigade under Lt. Colonel William Bolton. The 8th Battalion had been part of the second wave of landings at Anzac Cove on 25 April, 1915. Tne days later, they had been transferred to Cape Helles and took part in the ill-fated attack on the village of Krithia. After sustaining many casualties, they were withdrawn and then were placed in the defence of Anzac Cove, beofre fighting in the battle of Lone Pine on 2 August, 1915.  In December, the Anzac forces had withdrawn from the Gallipoli Peninsula and were sent back to Europe. James Fawkes was part of the new contingent to build the 2nd Brigade back to full strength.

On 20 March, 1916, the 8th battalion proceeded to Alexandria, where they joined the British Expeditionary force and set sail for France, disembarking at Marseilles  on 31 March, before heading off by train to the Western Front. On 10 July, 1916, James Fawkes would have been in the Somme Valley, in readiness for the battle of Pozieres, but  he was struck down with influenza. He was sent to the No. 3 General Hospital at Calais, before being transferred back to England on the Hospital Ship, Newhaven, where he was admitted to the No. 3 General Hospital Harefield on 13 July. On 5 October, 1916, he was moved to the No. 2 Australian Convalescent Depot at Weymouth, then to the No. 3 Depot at Perham Downs. From here, he was sent back to France and, on 23 March, 1917, James Fawkes transferred from the 8th Battalion to the 65th Battalion.

In Febbruary, 1917, the British Government made a formal request for Australia to form a Sixth Brigade. The 65th battalion was part of the new Brigade, formed in England on 19 March, 1917. Howver, heavy casualties at Bullecourt in April and May, 1917, and at Messines in June, caused the 6th Brigade project to be abandoned, and it was broken up in September 1917. James Fawkes was promoted to Acting Sergeant on 3 July, 1917, nut with the break-up of the 65th battalion, he was transferred back to the 8th battalion anmd reverted to Private

On 31 October, he was sent to hospital in France, with no explanation of the illness. However, on 4 December, he was back in England, embarking on the Hospital Ship Essequibo from France on 3 December. He was diagnosed with appendicitis and admitted to The Royal Victoria Hospital, but no operation seems to have been undertaken and it is possible that his symptons were of shell shock. On 23 March, 1918, he was again in hospital with vomiting and indigestion. On 12 May, 1918, he was returned to Australia on the Ruahine, diagnosed with neursthenia and gastric neurosis. he was given the Victory Medal, the British War Medal and the 1914-15 Star for his service.

In 1919, James Fawkes was living at 24 Shakespeare Grove, Hawthorn as a shop assistant. By 1924, he was in sales and living at 42 Terry St., Deepdene, where he stayed until 1954. The last entry for him on the Electoral Roll is for 1963, when he was living at 935 Canterbury Rd., Box Hill. He died that same year at Cheltenham in Victoria. He had never married.