In 1901, the Gorrie family were living at 1 Paradise Place, Perth: Father, David Gorrie (Engineer & Coppersmith), b. c1855, Perth; Son, Edward A. Gorrie (Engineers Clerk Apprentice), b. c1884, Perth; Son, James (Coppersmith Apprentice), b. 12th July 1887; Mary A. McNelly (Housekeeper), b. c1865, Kirby Moorside; and William J. McNelly (Housekeepers Son), b. c1898, USA. De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour

“Gorrie, James, Trooper, No. 47, 4th Light Horse, Machine Gun Section, Australian Imperial Force, youngest son of David Gorrie, of Methven Street, Perth, Engineering and Copper Works, by his wife, Margaret, daughter. of Edward Allen of Hawes, Yorkshire; b. Perth, 12 July 1887; educated at Sharp’s Academy there.

 "Subsequently trained as a Coppersmith with his father’s firm, then travelled nearly all over the world to gain experience; went first to Montreal, then to Detroit, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Sydney, Maryborough, Melbourne, and finally settled with Messrs. Thomson & Co., Ltd., Locomotive Engineers, Castlemaine, Victoria, where he was when war broke out in Aug. 1914

 "Immediately volunteered for Imperial Service, and joined the 4th Light Horse on the 9th; left for Egypt 20 Oct. 1914; proceeded to the Dardanelles Jan. 1915, and was killed in action there 10 Aug. following; .” The 4th Light Horse Regiment was formed as the divisional cavalry regiment for the 1st Australian Division on the 11th August 1914. Belying traditional stereotypes, over 20% of the original regiment were city dwellers from Melbourne.

James Gorrie enlisted on the 19th August 1914 when employed as a mechanic and embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on the 19th October 1914, on board Transport A18 Wiltshire.

The Light Horse were considered unsuitable for the initial operations at Gallipoli, but were subsequently deployed without their horses to reinforce the infantry. The 4th Light Horse Regiment landed at ANZAC Cove between the 22nd and 24th May and its squadrons were initially scattered to reinforce the infantry battalions already ashore. The regiment was not reunited until the 11th June.

Much of the regiment’s time at Gallipoli was spent defending the precarious ANZAC position, most frequently around Ryrie’s Post, but it’s squadrons were involved in several minor attacks. It left the peninsula on the 11th December 1915.

James Gorrie would have lost his life at some stage of this engagement around ANZAC Cove. He was 28 years old.