James Alexander Morrison was the son of James Morrison and his wife, Alexandra. He was born on 15 November 1895 but the whereabouts of this event is not entirely certain. On his enlistment papers he states that he was born in East Melbourne yet at the time his parents were living at Florida Station, near Cobar, NSW. The birth notice in the paper does not give a place and the birth does not apear to have been registered in either state. Yet it is entirely possible that he was born in East Melbourne as his grandfather was Dr. Alexander Morrison, headmaster and pricipal of Scotch College from 1857 to 1903, and it might have seemed wiser to have the baby at Scotch rather than at the remotely situated home of his parents. By 1904 the family had moved to a property near Ensay in Gippsland but appear to have sold it during the war years. He was educated at Scotch where he was something of a runner, being third in the Under 16 100 yards, second in the 220 and first in the 440 at the 1911 school sports.
When he enlisted on 22 February 1915 James described himself as a station hand and stated that he had had four years military experience with the Senior Cadets and twelve months with the Citizens' Forces. He was assigned to C Company, 23rd Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade at Boradmeadows as a private.
He embarked on 8 May 1915 on board the Euripides. Pte Stanley Lancaster, in the same battalion as James, wrote home describing the trip. In part it reads, 'The hot weather has played up with our men; the hospital is always full. They buried two men at Colombo, and there has been an average of one a day since we've left there. We will be glad when we get on land again as we are packed like sardines; there are over 2000 on our ship, without the ship's crew, 250.' Continung on after they landed Lancaster writes, 'We arrived safely and are camped about 6 miles from Cairo [Heliopolis] ... We are changing our uniform while we are here. We have short nickers [sic], putties and helmets, they look very funny. ... Cairo is a great place, but the natives are very treacherous, and half Turks.'
The unit moved on to France in March 1916. James was promoted to corporal on 14 August 1916 in Belgium, but back in France he reverted to ranks on 31 October 1916 at his own request. He took leave in England in December and was back with his unit on 18 January 1917 when he was given the position of temprary corporal, he was made corporal a month later. This time he kept the rank. In March he was transferred to the 6th Training Battalion. Throughout 1917 he was back and forward between England and France. In late October of that year, and back in France, he rejoined the 23rd Battalion. He was promoted to sergeant on 5 May 1918. In mid-July he spent three days in hsopital with tonsilitis. In October his actions on the field earned him a Military Medal. The recommendation reads:-
This NCO acted as a Platoon Sergeant during the operation near BEAUREVOIR, East of PERONNE, on night 3rd/4th Oct., 1918.
He displayed extraordinary coolness and courage under heavy Machine Gun and Artillery fire.
By his example, he was of invaluable assistance to his platoon Commander in getting the men safely through the enemy barrage and on to their objectives.
On reaching the objective he made a valuable forward reconnaissance in daylight.
His tireless energy and excellent conduct were of the hightest standard and acted as a great incentive to his men.
Later in the month he was granted leave in England. Whilst there he was admitted to hospital with influenza and was allowed an extra week's leave. After a month's duty at headquarters in Sutton Veny he left for return to Australia on 25 January 1919 and was discharged on 9 May.
After the war James's life is not well documented. In 1924 he wrote to Base Records requesting that his medals, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, be forwarded to him at Cambridge Downs, Richmond, North Qld. He married Mollie Valverde Petley on 16 February 1927 at Rockhampton. From 1930 he appears in the electoral rolls at Buckinguy Station, Nyngan, NSW as station manager. The station was big news in 1935 when the woolshed was burnt to the ground killing 300 stud rams. The cause was not known. In 1951 ill health forced him to retire and he moved to Sydney. He died on 1 Febrary 1957.