James Tabulo was born in Abbotsford c.1892. When he enlisted on 26 January 1915 he gave his occupation as assistant electrical linesman. He named a friend, Mrs Howard of Terang, Victoria, as his next of kin. He was appointed to the 7th Battalion, 7th Reinforcements as a private and sent to Seymour for training. From 26 January 1915 to 5 July 1915 he was in the isolation hospital with an infection.
He embarked on 16 July 1915 aboard HMAT Demosthenes by which time he had changed his next of kin to Mrs. T Lomergad, C/o Mrs. Hall, Marnoo, [26] Jolimont Terrace, Jolimont, and gave the same address as his own permanent place of residence. He embarked from Alexandria to join the Middle Eastern Forces on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 11 September 1915. He joined the Reinforcements at Shrapnel Gully and was temporarily attached to 2nd Field Company Engineers on 12 November 1915, then at Serapeum he was taken on strength of the same unit as a sapper on 23 January 1916. He was transferred to the 5th Division Engineers on 10 March 1916. Then taken on strength of the 5th Pioneer Battalion at Ferry Post on 26 May 1916.
He embarked to join the British Expeditionary Forces from Alexandria on 19 June 1916 and arrived in Marseilles a week later. In France he was admitted to hospital sick on 11 January 1917 and was in and out of hospital numerous times over the next eighteen months, in between times serving at the Australian Divisional Base Depot. He was admitted to hospital in Glasgow on 3 August 1918 while on leave and continued to require periods in hospital until his return to Australia on 7 February 1919.
He died as the result of an accident on 5 May 1950. In 1958 his widow, Mrs. Grace Tabulo, wrote asking for his medals to be re-issued after the theft of the originals. Regulations precluded their replacement after the death of the soldier to whom they were originally issued. However a friend wrote on her behalf to the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, to beg him to reconsider. The medals were re-issued at no cost along with medals due to him for his service in World War II
