Ernest James (1883-1918)

Post date: Apr 09, 2018 5:9:32 PM

Extract from Kent Messenger of 19th October 1918:

Cpl. E. A. James

(Wateringbury)

North Lancs.

KILLED IN ACTION-

A regular soldier for 11 years, 8850 Corpl. James was the youngest

son of Mr. and Mrs. James, of Wateringbury, and 35 years of age.

Much sympathy is felt for his aged parents, who received the news

of their sad loss in the following letter: “With the deepest regret

I inform you of the death of your son, Corpl. James, who fell gallantly

doing his duty during an advance on the 5th. He was a most valiant

soldier and much loved by his men and fellow soldiers. His comrades

buried him close to the spot where he so bravely laid down his

life for his country, and the burial service was read over his grave

and a cross erected. We, his fellow soldiers, offer you our most

heartfelt sympathy in your great trouble, in which we fully share."

He is now re-buried at Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery which is 13 km south of Ypres. His grave (reference III.B.21) is one of 1,010 Commonwealth graves there. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirm the date of death given in the newspaper article and clarify his regiment as The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

Both the KM and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission only quote his initials and his first name of Ernest comes from the Wateringbury Church War Memorial. It is also the name the vicar uses in his list of village men serving in 1917. However Soldiers died in the Great War 1914-1919 gives the name for 8850 as Edward Albert James and shows him having been born in Sevenoaks. If this is correct then in the 1911 he was then serving in Ghorpuri Barracks, Poona, India

The only family with the surname of James living in Wateringbury at the time of the 1911 census was a couple Joseph (aged 67 in 1911) and Eliza (aged 63) living in a 4 room cottage at The North Pole. They had been married for 43 years and had had 9 children but 5 had died by the time of the census. Joseph is recorded as a county Council labourer. There is no absolute certainty that this is his parents referred to in the KM article.

E.A.'s death came during the so-called 100 Days Offensive starting 8th August and ending with Germany's surrender.The War Diary of his battalion, the 2nd, is available at the National Archives (Reference WO-95-2457-2): for 5th September it records the battalion is in Vierstraat Switch [some 6 km from where E.A. is buried] ; it mentions "Intermittent enemy shelling with lachrymatory & mustard gas during night & early morning." At 10.00 a.m. they were warned to be ready to move that evening to Spy Farm which they did at 22.00 with the Cheshires taking over their old line. Casualites for the day are recorded as "Capt. F. L. Morgan wounded at duty; Lieut. P. R. Thompson (shell shock); killed 3 O.R.; wounded 4 O.R.; sick to hospital 9 O.R."