| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
James was born in Hull in 1891 son of Edwin James and Agnes (nee Purcell). His father was a butcher and the family was living at 8 Portland Street, Hull. By 1901 James and 3 siblings had moved to Charles Street and their father was a Master Butcher. Edwin took over the tenancy of the Valiant Soldier in Beverley and in 1907 became the licensee of the Dog and Duck, Ladygate until his death in 1914 aged 48.
James was working as a warehouse man in London when he enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Sep 1914. By 1915 he was married to Nelly Gidney with a son, Cyril, and he arrived in France in July, which entitled him to the 1915 Star.
James served on Field Ambulance duties this resulted in him needing an operation in Jan 1917 for a double rupture that was treated at No 32 Australian General Hospital. James was transferred to the Base Unit in Rouen due to a weak abdominal scar and hernia and then to No 2 Stationary Hospital at Abbeville. He was in France for 3 years and 197 days, ending his service as Acting Corporal attached to No 11 Sanitary Squad in Abbeville.
James returned to London but by 1925 he and Nelly and their 2 sons were living in Portsmouth where daughter Jean was born. In 1939 James is a commercial traveller for a wholesale drapery company, living at 5 Gloucester Terrace, Portsmouth.
Nelly died in 1972 and James in 1977 in Portsmouth
Includes, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |