James and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 10/05/1915 and were part of the 9th (Scottish) Division. On the 20/09/1917, the 9th (Scottish) Division participated in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, a stage in the 3rd Battle of Ypres. It advanced from the Frezenberg Ridge towards the village of Zonnebeke. The 9th (Scottish) Division was confronted by the morass of the Hanebeek valley, where the stream had been choked by frequent bombardment and turned into a swamp and water-filled shell-holes. Both brigades sent two Battalions forward to the first objective and leapfrogged two more through them to take the final objective. Hanebeek Wood on the right was barraged with smoke and high explosive shell rather than shrapnel, except for a lane along which a company was able to move behind the wood. When the artillery fire moved beyond the wood it was rushed from both directions and captured with fifty prisoners and four machine-guns. SEE PHOTOS x 12 FOR THE 9th BATTALION WAR DIARY AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1917. See photo (7) which states "1 Other Rank KILLED 20/09/1917". This must've been James. The Battles of Ypres (3rd Ypres / Passchendaele) 31st July - 10th November 1917 : The British finally got what they had wanted since 1914 : the opportunity to attack at Ypres and breakout of the confines of the salient of trenches around it. Often known as the 3rd Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele, the offensive began with encouraging gains but terrible summer weather soon bogged it down. By August the offensive was clearly failing in its objectives and had descended into attritional fighting. New techniques by both sides led to agonisingly slow forward movement for the British, at enormous cost in casualties to both sides. Bad weather in October led to the battlefield becoming an impossible quagmire. Grave photo kindly donated by Mick McCann at the British War Graves website who supply photos FREE OF CHARGE www.
here. James is also remembered on the Co-Op Society Roll of Honour, the Stirling War Memorial (see photos x 3) and the Stirling Roll of Honour book (see photos x 3). See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his CWGC Grave Registration x 3, his Headstone Report x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, Potijze Chateau Lawn Cemetery and the Seaforth Highlanders Cap Badge. James' grave inscription reads "THE LORD GAVE AND THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY". Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 25 FOR THE 9th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK JUNE - SEPTEMBER 1917, the 9th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died) and Newspaper clippings x 2 from the Coatbridge Express 29/12/1915 Co-Op Roll of Honour.
