Name
James John Archibald Green
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/04/1918
37
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
267716
Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby) Regiment
"B" Co. 2nd/6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PLOEGSTEERT MEMORIAL
Panel 7
Belgium
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Rickmansworth memorials
Pre War
James was born in Rickmansworth on the 14th of September 1882 the illegitimate son of Julia Alice Green. He was baptised there on the 11th of January 1885 but the father was not named.
On the 1891 census Julia and her three children Archibald, Lilian and May were living with her parents in Mortimer Road, Hackney. She was described as Alice Ives, Widow, Bath Attendant, the children having the surname Ives. However the children’s birth registrations all have the surname Green, although Lilian was registered as Lilian Ives Green. No likely Ives/Green marriage or Ives death has been found.
Later in 1891 Julia married Charles Frederick Shepperd son in Shoreditch and in 1901 they were living 50 Mortimer Road, Hackney with seven children and Julia's father John Green a Widower. The children are listed as James J A Green 18, Step Son, Ship's Steward; Lilian Green 15, Step Daughter; May Shepperdson 11, Daughter and four more with the surname Shepperdson. On the 23rd of August 1903 James married Elizabeth Mason in Hackney and in 1911 they were at 34 Elwin Street, Bethnal Green, with their daughter Edith Ivy age 3 with James a Turkish Bath Attendant.
Recorded as enlisting in Hackney, London.
Wartime Service
The 2nd/6th Battalion was raised in Chesterfield on the 14th of September 1914 as a second line unit.
They were sent to Ireland in April 1916 to quell disturbances and to France on the 25th of February 1917. In that year they saw numerous actions on the Western Front and in 1918 at the First Battle of Bullecourt. It is not clear how James died.
About 11pm on the 15th of April the Battalion was ordered to withdraw to the Kemmel-Meteren line. About 1 am on the 1th they suffered heavy casualties from shellfire and the following attack. No undue activity was reported on the 18th and on the 19th the Battalion was relieved and proceeded to Billets at Westhoutre.
James’ death on the 18th was noted as “death presumed” so perhaps occurred on the 17th.
Additional Information
His widow Elizabeth was killed as a civilian in WW2 on 19 Mar 1941 in Hackney.
Acknowledgments
Mike Collins
