Herbert James
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Herbert James was born at 11 Ingleby Street in Ladywood,[1] Birmingham. He was the son of Walter James and Emily James (née Danford). By the 1891 Census his family were living at 76 Three Shires Oak Road in Bearwood, Smethwick.[2] He attended Bearwood Road Infants School and later went on to become a teacher there, and subsequently at Brasshouse Lane School.[3]
James was 26 years old and a second lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment,[4] British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 28 June 1915 in the southern zone of Gallipoli, when the advance of part of the regiment had been checked, Second-Lieutenant James, from a neighbouring unit, gathered together a body of men and led them forward under heavy fire. He then returned, organised a second party and again advanced, putting fresh life into the attack. On 3 July he headed a party of bomb throwers up a Turkish communication trench and when all his party had been killed or wounded, he remained alone, under murderous fire and kept back the enemy until a barrier had been built behind him and the trench secured.[5]
James returned home, after his award of the VC and received Civic receptions in both Birmingham and Smethwick.[3] His family address, as of his visit in November 1915, was 141 Poplar Avenue in Edgbaston, Birmingham.[3]
He later achieved the rank of major. His medals are on display at the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.[6]
Two memorials to James were unveiled in 2010. on 2 July a memorial stone was unveiled at the East Chapel in Kensal Green Cemetery, where he was cremated.[3] On 12 November a plaque was unveiled at Bearwood Road School. This was presented to the school by Smethwick Heritage Centre.[3]
References
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- ↑ Birth Certificate from Birmingham Register Office
- ↑ 1891 UK Census
- ↑ a b c d e For King & Country; Smethwick's Two VCs of the First World War (Chris Sutton, 2012)
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ Maryborough Museum Template:Webarchive
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Bibliography
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External links
- Pages with script errors
- Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y
- 1887 births
- 1958 deaths
- British Gallipoli campaign recipients of the Victoria Cross
- Worcestershire Regiment officers
- British Army personnel of World War I
- Recipients of the Military Cross
- People from Ladywood
- Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery
- East Lancashire Regiment officers
- York and Lancaster Regiment officers
- 21st Lancers soldiers
- Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
- British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
- Military personnel from Birmingham, West Midlands