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[Page 10]
So at last Tristram James left the College to go to war. He was in fact seconded to the A.I.F. on 1 April 1916 in the substantive rank of major. In the A.I.F. he had the good forture to go to Major-General Monash's 3rd Australian Division in which he was posted for regimental duties to Brigadier-General H.W. Grimwade's 3rd Divisional Artillery. There he commanded at first a Battery of the 7th Brigade, A.F.A.
This Brigade was raised in March 1916 at Marrackville3 which is a suburb of Sydney in New South Wales. Its first Commanding Officer was Lieutenant* Coionel R.St.J. Pearce, V.D. who was officially appointed to date 17 March 1916. He was almost 54 years of age and he had served in the South African War of 1899-1902.
After leaving the Royal Military College, Duritroon., it is presumed: that Major T.B.W. James reported for duty at Headquarters.. 7th Brigade, A.F.A. At Marrickville in N.S.W.: that he was posted to command a Battery; and that he sailed with the Brigade from Sydeny.
The Brigade sailed from Sydney in H.M.A.T. Argyllshire on Thursday 11 May 1916 as part of Naval Transport Convoy No. 21. The Brigade disembarked at Portsmouth, England on Tuesday 11 July 1916. At this time units of the 3rd Australian Division were arriving in England and assembling on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. There they came under the command of the British Army's Headquarters, Southern Command at Andover.
The Brigade did its training at Lark Hill on Salisbury Plain arid during its training the batteries were re-organised and this re-organisation involved the