Born at South Yarra, Victoria, CoE. He was serving in the Australian Army when he was commissioned a Lieutenant on 25 May 1914 and his formal enlistment is dated 8 August 1914 with the rank of Captain. Embarked at Fremantle 2 November 1914 per A11 Ascanius. On 10 April 1915 he was at Lemnos Island with the 11th Infantry Battalion preparing for the Gallipoli landing ten days later. He served briefly at Gallipoli before being invalided to Australia on 10 June 1915 per HT Kyarra. A second enlistment is dated 19 February 1916 when he is 29, a mine surveyor and his next of kin was his wife, Mary Athol Lindsay Peat, Dean St, Cottesloe and later an address at Boulder WA. James retained the rank of Captain and was assigned to the 44th Battalion. He embarked at Fremantle 6 June 1916 per A29 Suevic and was killed in action in France on 27 June 1917. Buried in Westhof Farm Cemetery, near Neuve-Eglise (now Nieuwkerke) Belgium. Service medals: 1914-1915 Star, BWM and VM. Captain Peat’s service file is 110 pages.