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is worth quoting his physical details at that time.
He was 4ft 8 ½in tall (1.44m), weighed 77 lb (35kg) and had a
27in (68cm) chest. His complexion was pale and he had light
brown hair and eyes.
In 1901 he was lodging in Huntingdon and while there married
18 year old Rose Bailes from Stanground, near Peterborough
on January 30th 1905. The marriage took place in the church
in Stilton, a village sitting on the A1 trunk road, not far from
Stanground.
In just over a year their first child, Herbert James, was born.
A year later in 1907 their second child, Florence, was born. They
were still living in Huntingdon.
At some time around spring 1908 they (and presumably the
regiment) moved to Woolwich where their third child, Charles,
was born on 24th November 1908.
In March 1911, and nearing the end of his 12-year signing,
Charles re-signed for a further nine years service, making 21
years in all. By this time Charles, Rose and the three children
were living in lodgings in Alverstoke, Hampshire (near Gosport)
where there was a large army camp – Fort Gomer.
At that date it was mainly occupied by the 2nd Battalion
Lincolnshire Regiment plus half a dozen men from the KRRC.
They were obviously there for some time for it to be worth the
trouble of moving his family there and finding suitable lodgings
for them.
He did not go overseas until the Battalion went to France on
12th August 1914 as part of the first detachments of the BEF
to go to war. They landed at Le Havre and were welcomed by
cheering French men and women.
The Battalion went into the fray almost immediately, while trying
to stop the German attempt to reach the coast. At one point the
British retreated from Belgium to the small French town of Le
Cateau, where they made a stand. On 26th August 1914 they
went on to the attack. An extract from the 1st Battalion war diary
gives an idea of life for James at this time.
193
He was 4ft 8 ½in tall (1.44m), weighed 77 lb (35kg) and had a
27in (68cm) chest. His complexion was pale and he had light
brown hair and eyes.
In 1901 he was lodging in Huntingdon and while there married
18 year old Rose Bailes from Stanground, near Peterborough
on January 30th 1905. The marriage took place in the church
in Stilton, a village sitting on the A1 trunk road, not far from
Stanground.
In just over a year their first child, Herbert James, was born.
A year later in 1907 their second child, Florence, was born. They
were still living in Huntingdon.
At some time around spring 1908 they (and presumably the
regiment) moved to Woolwich where their third child, Charles,
was born on 24th November 1908.
In March 1911, and nearing the end of his 12-year signing,
Charles re-signed for a further nine years service, making 21
years in all. By this time Charles, Rose and the three children
were living in lodgings in Alverstoke, Hampshire (near Gosport)
where there was a large army camp – Fort Gomer.
At that date it was mainly occupied by the 2nd Battalion
Lincolnshire Regiment plus half a dozen men from the KRRC.
They were obviously there for some time for it to be worth the
trouble of moving his family there and finding suitable lodgings
for them.
He did not go overseas until the Battalion went to France on
12th August 1914 as part of the first detachments of the BEF
to go to war. They landed at Le Havre and were welcomed by
cheering French men and women.
The Battalion went into the fray almost immediately, while trying
to stop the German attempt to reach the coast. At one point the
British retreated from Belgium to the small French town of Le
Cateau, where they made a stand. On 26th August 1914 they
went on to the attack. An extract from the 1st Battalion war diary
gives an idea of life for James at this time.
193
