James Coleman was born in Abbott’s Langley in 1892 and baptised at St Mary’s, Apsley End on Sunday, 31st July in the same year. He was the fourth son and fifth child born to William Rawlings Coleman and Sarah Ann Curtis who had seven children together. The children were: Fred, Edward, Percy, Alice, Emily, James and Nelly. William and Sarah also raised their niece Winnie (Winifred) Curtis after her mother had died in 1901. James’ older brother Percy also fought and died in the conflict in July 1917. His biography is also on this site. The Colemans lived next door to James’ grandparents, at number 12 Nash Mills which was the family home for over forty years. Indeed, James only left Nash Mills when he went to war.

When James left school, like his father and all but one of his older siblings, he went to work with John Dickinson & Co. Limited in Aspley Mills. He worked as a ‘Paper Packer’ and stayed with John Dickinson until he left to join the Colours. James enlisted under the Military Services Act in July 1916 when he attested at Hemel Hempstead and joined the Essex Regiment. He was immediately posted for basic training at Felixstowe but it seems that at some point during this training he transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (MGC). This move meant that he underwent specialist training before going overseas sometime in 1917.

James was posted to the 197th Company MGC which was under the orders of the 9th (Scottish) Division. He was most likely to have seen action at Passchendaele in the Third Battle of Ypres at the end of the year. In 1918 he fought at the Somme in the battles of St Quentin and Bapaume in March and early April. There then followed in quick succession the Battles of Messines, Bailleul, First Kemmel and Second Kemmel. It was during the last of these engagements on the 25th and 26th April that James was wounded.

He was evacuated down the line and taken to 54th General Hospital known as ‘London General Hospital’ at Wimereux near Boulogne. Despite treatment James did not recover and succumbed to his injuries.

James died on Sunday, 28th April 1918.

He is commemorated on the John Dickinson & Co. Limited War Memorial and on the plaque in St Mary’s Church in Apsley End.

James is Remembered with Honour in the Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France, Grave IX. A. 50. The inscription on his headstone, requested by Mrs. H. Duncan of Chipperfield, reads: “IN LOVING MEMORY”. Mrs Duncan may have been an Aunt.

He was 27 years old when he died.

James was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.