Name
James Coleman
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/04/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
55470
Machine Gun Corps
197th Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BOULOGNE EASTERN CEMETERY
IX. A. 50.
France
Headstone Inscription
IN LOVING MEMORY
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
St Mary's Church Memorial, Apsley End,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills,
Not on the Chipperfield Memorials,
We are not aware of any memorial in Nash Mills
Pre War
James Coleman was born in 1892 at Nash Mills, Abbotts Langley, Herts, the son of William Coleman and Sarah Ann Coleman (nee Curtis) and baptised at St Mary's Church, Apsley End on 31 July 1892. He was one of seven children and his cousin Winifred Curtis also lived with the family after her mother died in 1901.
On the 1901 Census, the family were living at Nash Mills, Apsley End, Abbots Langley, Herts where his father was working as a Millwright and in the 1911 Census James is recorded as “Dawis” aged 18, working as a Parcel Packer (at John Dickinson & Co Ltd) , living with his parents, and five siblings at, 12 Nash Mills, Herts.
Prior to enlistment he was employed at John Dickinson & Co, Apsley Mills and his parents later lived at Tower Hill, Chipperfield, King’s Langley, Herts.
Wartime Service
James enlisted in Hemel Hempstead in July 1916 and joined the Essex Regiment, (reg. no. 29128) and was sent for basic training at Felixstowe but transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and underwent specialist training before going to France sometime in early 1917.
He was posted to the 197th Company of the Machine Gun Corps and is likely to have seen action at Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) towards the end of the year.
In 1918 he fought at the Somme at the Battles of St Quentin and Bapaume in March, followed by the the Battles of Messines, Bailleul, and Kemmel in April.
During the 2nd Battle of Kemmel, which took place on 25 and 26th April, James was wounded and taken to the 54th General Hospital at Wimereux near Boulogne, where he died of his wounds on 28 April 1918. He is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
Mrs H Duncan, 1 Gover Hill, Chipperfield, King's Langley, Herts., ordered his headstone inscription: "IN LOVING MEMORY".
Brother to Percy Coleman who died 31 July 1917 and who is named on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
His mother received a pension of 8 shillings a week for life from 5 November 1918. His father received a war gratuity of £8 and pay owing of £13 5s 10d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com., www.hemelatwar.org.
