George Thomas James, Private, 7th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

Charles Robert James, Private, 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment

George James and Charles James’s parents, Charles and Fanny James, were originally from Almer (near Winterbourne) in Dorset. It was there that George James was born in 1887.  Another brother and sister had also been born in Almer.

Above photo: Charles James (1863-1946) Joseph and Charles James’s father (1)

By 1899, George’s parents had moved to Puddleston, Herefordshire where, in 1899, Charles James was born. Three more sisters were born between 1902 and 1908. Two of these daughters were born in Puddleston, while another was born in Carmarthenshire.

The 1901 census records that their father, Charles, was working at Puddleston Court as a domestic gardener and he and most of his family were residing at Gardener’s House, Puddleston Court except for George James who was residing at The Wytch House in Kington, employed as a servant/gardener.

Above photo: The Wytch House, Kington (2)

However, the 1911 census, states that George James was back at Gardener’s House, Puddleston, living with his parents and one brother and three sisters (two sisters having died young) and working as a builder’s labourer.

In 1913, George James married Ellen Preedy.

George James enlisted under the Derby Scheme in the 7th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry in 1915.

“The Derby Scheme was launched in Autumn 1915 by the Earl of Derby, Kitchener's new Director General of Recruiting, to determine how many new recruits could be signed up, using appointed canvassers visiting eligible men at home to persuade them to 'volunteer' for war service

The scheme announcement caused an initial rise in recruitment, as some preferred to go to the recruiting office rather than wait for the inevitable. Many canvassers were experienced in politics, though discharged veterans and the fathers of serving soldiers proved the most effective, while some just used threats to persuade. Although women were not allowed to canvas, they did contribute by tracking men who had moved address.

Every man would be given a copy of a letter from the Earl of Derby, explaining the programme and stating that they were in "a country fighting, as ours is, for its very existence" and had to state whether or not he was willing to attest to enlist.  Those who did agree to attest had to promise to present themselves at their recruiting office within 48 hours, while some were accompanied there immediately. The scheme was undertaken during November–December 1915 and obtained 318,553 medically fit single men.” (Wikipedia)

By 1916, the 7th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry had joined 8th Brigade, 3rd Division. 

Prior to the Battle of Bazentine Ridge (14th July 1916), the battalion had been engaged in trench holding and training in the Ypres sector before it was moved to the Somme.

A war diary, below, describes what would most likely have been George James’s first experience of military combat.

“At 3.30 a.m. on 14 July 1916 7/KLSI took part in the assault on Bazentine Ridge on the Somme. The objective was the German Front Line running through Bazentine le Grand some 1,500 yards distant. 7/KLSI was on on the extreme right of the attack. This was the second phase of the Somme battle using improved tactics from the largely failed attacks employed on 1 July that had resulted in 57,470 casualties of whom 19,240 were killed. The assault was intended to expand the limited gains that were made on that day. The assault was proceeded by a brief artillery bombardment in darkness to gain surprise on the enemy. 7/KLSI ran into uncut German barbed wire 600 yards from the German Front Line that completely stalled the attack. The remnants of 7/KLSI fell back to to a sunken road having suffered considerable losses from enemy fire. At 11 a.m. the remains of 7/KLSI commanded by the remaining senior officer, Captain William L. Lloyd attacked again, this time assisted by bombing parties. They got through the wire and attacked the German Front Line trench. Lieutenant-Colonel Raymond Ewings Negus DSO was rescued after having been taken prisoner whilst lying wounded in the wire earlier that morning. The six remaining officers and about 135 survivors of 7/KLSI consolidated the captured trench and beat off five German counter attacks until relieved on 20 July.” (3)

Above photo: Battle of Bazentin Ridge (4)

Former apprentice tailor and Kitchener volunteer, Private 13621 William Wilkes MM, 7/KLSI, later wrote of his experiences of that day in a memoir;

“I was in the second wave I often think my luck was in for when the guns opened out they dropped the barrage short and a lot of the first wave caught it and then to make things worse the wire was 4 to 6 yards deep and had not been cut at all. Our chaps were just wiped out those of us that managed to get back to a sunken road 150 to 200 yards had to try and dig ourselves in which is quite an ordeal under heavy machine gun fire with a trenching tool that appear to be more like a tooth pick both men on my right and left were killed, we lay there hardly able to move till 10 o’clock then we heard that the flanks had broken through and jerry had gone back, all was very quiet now after all the din an occasional rifle shot or machine gun burst a few shells going over to the rear we went forward and got into the German trench and then did a very foolish thing. I have in times past when we have some new drab rookies we used to call them the first thing they seemed to want to do was to stick their heads up over the parapet to see where jerry was, I said keep your ‘loaf' down and that’s just what I did have a quick look but jerry was doing the same and although he was not a very good shot he caught me in my left shoulder the collar bone glancing it down and it came out just under my shoulder blade. It felt as if someone had given me a tremendous wallop on my back but fortunately it missed any vital spot.” (5)

“Eight officers and 163 other ranks had been killed and seven officers and 294 other ranks wounded. The original 7/KLSI battalion of Kitchener volunteers had been devastated in its first major attack having landed less than 12 months previously.” (6)

Above photo: 7th Battalion, K.S.L.I. parading at Ancre (IWM)

The 7th King’s Shropshire Light infantry also saw action at the Battle of Ancre which was was the final push against the most obstinate German defences on either side of the River Ancre.

“At 5.45 a.m. on 13 November 1916 7/KLSI again attacked on the Somme in what was to be the last phase of the Somme Campaign that year. 7/KLSI had been rebuilt with new drags to a strength of 28 officers and 690 other ranks. The objective of the attack was the heavily fortified village of Serre that had stopped the British assault on 1 July 1916. A two day artillery bombardment on the German defences preceded the attack. 7/KLSI was supporting the advance of 1/Royal Scots Fusiliers but when the advance commenced all direction was lost and the supporting tanks had to withdraw. The ground was a deep muddy quagmire. Ration parties would take four hours to cover 1,000 yards. On the morning of the attack it was initially pitch black and there was a continuing ground fog.

Above photo: British cavalry patrolling, Ancre, 1917 (Wikipedia)

Although the objective of Serre was not taken the battalion was able to secure the eastern slopes of the Thiepval Ridge due the success of the 51 Highland Division in capturing Beaumont Hamel to the south. 225 officers and other ranks were killed, wounded or reported missing in the attack.” (7)

The  7th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry also saw action at The Battle of Arras (9th April 1917-26th May 1917).

On the first day of the battle, the 7th K.S.L.I. advance forward is described in another war diary -

“9th April 1917 The assaulting brigade, 76th Brigade had also captured its objective which was the village of Tolloy Les Mafflaines and The Harp.

The 8th Brigade with this battalion on the right and the 7th K.S.L.I. on the front line was allotted the task of passing through the 9th Brigade and capturing Feuchy Line which was called The Brown Line, an advance of about three thousand yards.

The advance started most successfully with quite a number of prisoners taken in the various trenches which were passed over but, later, when they came up within about 600 yards of The Brown Line, the attacking troops were caught by heavy enfilade machine gun fire from the Feuchy Chapel, a strong point to the north, making further advance impossible.

This was due to the fact that the Brigade on our left had failed to take the point. Two battalions of the 76th Brigade were also sent up but failed.

The Battalion dug during the night about 600 yards west of Brown Line and orders were given for a further attack the following day.”   (8)

“On 31st July 1917, the British and French launched a massive offensive in the area around Ypres in the Belgium province of Flanders. The Third Battle of Ypres, known in later years as The Battle of Passchendaele was not as bloody as The Somme, the year before, but would achieve its own notoriety. Ypres was probably the most dangerous area for British soldiers on the whole Western Front.

Surrounded by the Germans on three sides and overlooked by high ground, it was very vulnerable to German fire.  Haig aimed to capture the high ground surrounding Ypres, including the Passchendaele ridge, through a series of smaller battles. It would be a major decisive action to break through the German defences. But the main assault north-eastward, which began at the end of July, quickly became a dogged struggle against determined opposition and the rapidly deteriorating weather.” (NAM)”

Above photo: The Battle of Passchendaele (IWM)

It was here, during the Battle of Polygon Wood, that George James went missing on 26th September 1917.

The Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) began on the 26th of September 1917. A war diary describes the action.

“At zero hours + six hours and forty minutes, The Royal Scots Guards and 7th K.S.L.I. will pass through the 9th Infantry Brigade on Blue Line without making any appreciable halt and will advance towards their objectives.

It was not until about 15 hours that I received reports from the Companies and all of these stated that they had been held up and were about 600 yards from Brown Line and they all agreed as to the reasons. Namely: -

15/1 Heavy enfilade in MG fire from Feuchy Chapel which was still in enemy hands.

16/2 Enfilade fire from The Sunken Road south-west of Wancourt, The Brown Line not having been captured by the Division on my right.

17/3 The wire in front of The Brown Line was very strong and not damaged at all in most parts and that it would not be possible to get through it under this enfilade fire.” (2nd Battalion Royal Scots War Diary WO95/1243/4)

At 0935 hours reports showed that with The 1st Royal Scots. Fusiliers we were holding shellholes about 250 yards short of the Brigade objective and that the 7th K.S.L.I. who were to take the final objective on the left were not up as far.”  (9)

More than likely it was during this advance by the 7h Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on 26th September, 1917 that George James went missing. He was 30 years old.

Above photo: 3rd Battle of Ypres also known as Passchendaele (IWM)

“The campaign finally came to a close in November with the capture of Passchendaele (The Third Battle of Ypres). The battles of the Ypres Salient claimed many lives on both sides and it quickly became clear that the commemoration of members of the Commonwealth forces with no known grave would have to be divided between several different sites, The Tyne Cot Memorial being the one which George Thomas is commemorated at.” (CWGC)

Above photo: Tyne Cot Memorial (CWGC)

“The Tyne Cot Memorial is one of four memorials to the missing in Belgian Flanders which cover the area known as the Ypres Salient.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. The Tyne Cot Memorial now bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Herbert Baker was unveiled by Sir Gilbert Dyett on 20 June 1927.” (CWGC)

Charles James enlisted in 5th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra, Princess of Wales Own) in Birmingham. The exact date cannot be confirmed. In 1914, the minimum age to enlist was 19 years old.

By 1916 the minimum age to recruit had been reduced to the age of 18. If Charles James had enlisted or been recruited at the minimum age, he would have been eligible to join the army in early 1917.

The 5th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, 150th Brigade, 50th Division, served on The Western Front throughout the conflict, seeing action at Aubers Ridge, on The Somme, the Flanders coast, the Third Battle of Ypres and The Battle of The Lys.  It is not possible to establish where and when Charles James was captured and taken prisoner but it is most probable that it was at the Battle of The River Lys (7th-29th April 1918).

The Battle of The River Lys

A German attack in this area had been thought possible since before the Somme offensive, however when that battle began ten divisions had been moved South from the Ypres salient. In return only tired and depleted divisions were returned, the 50th among them.

The division was reinforced to some degree by new recruits from the various regiments' graduated battalions, veterans 'combed out' from various depots and numbers of hastily reclassified 'category B' men. Unable to be replaced were the large numbers of experienced officers and NCOs lost during the Somme battle.

“The German attack began on 9 April forcing back the Portuguese, the 151st brigade advanced to La Gorgue and Lestrem, and at midday contact was made with the enemy at Leventie by 6th Durham Light infantry. The 150th Brigade (which 5th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment was part of) was moving up to the River Lys at Estairs and the 149th Brigade to the North.

The 149th and 150th Brigades prevented the Germans from advancing across the Lys, and that night the bridges held by the division were blown up and the whole line brought back to the Lys.

Above photo: British gunners defending against the German offensive during The Battle of The Lys (Wikipedia)

Over the next two days, with considerable artillery and trench mortar support, the Germans advanced slowly against the troops of the division until the line consisted of small groups of isolated men, who in some cases had been fighting for 30 hours.” (Wikipedia)

Charles James might well have been in one of these “small groups of isolated men, who, in some cases had been fighting for 30 hours” and was subsequently taken prisoner and then transported to Lamsdorf which, at that time, was in eastern Germany but now in Poland.

Łamsdorf was the location of Camp Lamsdorf which served as a prisoner of war camp during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and also in both World Wars.

Above photo: A View of the camp at Lamsdorf during World War 1 (10)

The camp was reactivated during World War I when the Germans set up one of the largest camps for prisoners of war, housing roughly 90,000 internees, mostly from the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy and Serbia. Due to poor housing conditions roughly 7,000 men died in captivity. Charles James died there on 23rd November 1918, aged 19.  Most likely he would have spent 6 months imprisoned at the camp if he had been taken into captivity at the Battle of The River Lys.

A memorial at Lamsdorf commemorates those who died at the camp during the 1st World War.

Above photo: War Memorial Lambinowice (now South-west Poland) (Wikimedia)

“In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Berlin South-Western was one of those chosen and in 1924-25, graves were brought into the cemetery from 146 burial grounds in eastern Germany. There are now 1,176 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plot at Berlin South-Western Cemetery. The total includes special memorials to a number of casualties buried in other cemeteries in Germany whose graves could not be found.” (CWGC)

Charles James is buried in this cemetery. 

Above photo;  Berlin South-Western Cemetery (CWGC)

In “The UK Army Register of Soldiers Effects” Charles James left the sum of £23 9s 1d in the form of a war gratuity and back pay to his mother, Fanny and £3 to his sister Lucy. This might well suggest that he enlisted underage as the amount of gratuity awarded was based upon how long a soldier had served overseas.

At the time of George James’s death, his father and mother, Charles and Fanny James were living at Moorcourt Lodge, Lyonshall and Charles James’s wife, Ellen James was living at 40 Bargates, Leominster.

It is notable that both George and Charles James did not have a connection to Pembridge yet are commemorated on The Pembridge War Memorial. There are many other fallen soldiers who are also commemorated on war memorials in towns/villages across the country that these soldiers also had no connection with.  More than likely, the parents of the two brothers wanted or even insisted that their two dead sons should be commemorated close to where they were now residing because they felt that it would be a more manageable way of dealing with their grief – the commemorations of their two dead sons being in close proximity to them.

Also, to note is Henry James Jones, another soldier who is commemorated on The Pembridge War Memorial who was not only in the same regiment as George James but, also, in the same battalion. George James had spent most of his life in Puddleston, near Dilwyn, so it is doubtful whether George James and Henry Jones had come across each other before the war. But it is quite possible that behind the front lines or even in the trenches word might have reached one or the other that they had both lived within relative proximity which might have given them a reason to seek each other out and spend time with each other when they were resting and recuperating behind the front lines.

Rory MacColl

Sources

1/  https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/29499318/person/12493848460/facts

2/  https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101208078-the-wych-wych-house-kington

3/  https://www.soldiersofshropshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/7%EF%80%A2KLSI-1914-1918.pdf

4/  https://www.facebook.com/DevonDorsetAssociation/photos/a.1766341410313319/

5/  https://www.soldiersofshropshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/7%EF%80%A2KLSI-1914-1918.pdf

6/   https://www.soldiersofshropshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/7%EF%80%A2KLSI-1914-1918.pdf

7/   https://www.soldiersofshropshire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/7%EF%80%A2KLSI-1914-1918.pdf

8/   https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=6449

9/   https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=6449

10/ https://www.cmjw.pl/en/muzeum2