James Reavey

The Battalion arrived at Le Havre on the 05/11/1914 and were part of the 23rd Brigade, 8th Division. James arrived in France on the 02/05/1915. James Died of Wounds at the 3rd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station after his Regiment were involved in heavy fighting as they tried to stem a major German advance near Ypres. This was at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, 31st July - 2nd August 1917. This was part of the Battles of Ypres (Third Ypres), 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 Third 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. See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 2, the Ireland Catholic Register listing James and his mother and father, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his listing in the Ireland Casualties WW1, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, another photo of James' grave, his Pension Records x 3, Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, the Family Plot in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Airdrie x 2 and the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Cap Badge. James' grave inscription reads "JESUS MERCY, MARY HELP".