Rfn
James Nelson
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1891 |
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Place of birth: Warrenby, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Shipping Clerk |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Rifleman |
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Service number: C/12410 |
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Enlistment place: Redcar, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — King's Royal Rifle Corps, 21st Bn. (Yeoman Rifles) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 05/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Impact Reserve, Battle Wood, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 26 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 53 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 09/02/1920 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 09/02/1920 |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Rifleman James Nelson served in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps 21st Battalion, part of the 124th Brigade of the 41st Division.
After the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, which took place from the 31st of July to the 2nd of August, the 21st remained in the area north of Hollebeke. The Battalion was positioned in the Impact Reserve at Battle Wood.
On the 5th of August 1917, the Germans tried three times to recapture the area near Hollebeke. All these attacks were eventually repulsed. The 21st King’s Royal Rifle Corps was heavily shelled throughout the day. At 9.30 p.m., the Germans launched an attack. The Germans couldn’t advance, partially due to the artillery and machine gun fire from the 21st Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. The attack was fend off, but the King’s Royal Rifle Corps 21st Battalion had suffered heavy casualties due to the German shelling.
It’s highly possible Rifleman James Nelson was killed in action, due to the German shelling on his Battalion’s position at Impact Reserve. He died on the 5th of August 1917, just northeast of Hollebeke. His remains were never identified and James Nelson is remembered at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
After the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, which took place from the 31st of July to the 2nd of August, the 21st remained in the area north of Hollebeke. The Battalion was positioned in the Impact Reserve at Battle Wood.
On the 5th of August 1917, the Germans tried three times to recapture the area near Hollebeke. All these attacks were eventually repulsed. The 21st King’s Royal Rifle Corps was heavily shelled throughout the day. At 9.30 p.m., the Germans launched an attack. The Germans couldn’t advance, partially due to the artillery and machine gun fire from the 21st Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. The attack was fend off, but the King’s Royal Rifle Corps 21st Battalion had suffered heavy casualties due to the German shelling.
It’s highly possible Rifleman James Nelson was killed in action, due to the German shelling on his Battalion’s position at Impact Reserve. He died on the 5th of August 1917, just northeast of Hollebeke. His remains were never identified and James Nelson is remembered at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Sources 3
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21 Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps. War Diaries for November 1916 not included.... (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2643/4). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
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Byron R. ed., The King's Royal Rifle Corps Chronicle: 1917, Volume 4, (London, Warren and Son, 1920), pg. 227. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 35. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/918671 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=c6c6ff65-7424-4a48-8d8a-3162c0d26e17 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3220101 |