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James Brady cap badgePrivate James Brady

2nd Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
Service No: 5119

James Brady grave

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Personal details

Family Information

James had no family. His friend Robina Hamilton Clark lived at 296a Main St, Coatbridge in 1919 with her daughters Minnie and Gracie and her son Matthew. James wrote a Will leaving everything to his friend Mrs Robina Clark, White House, Coatdyke. (Mrs Clark's Census Records). From the 1891 Census - Address - Clarks Land 236 Main St, Coatbridge - Daniel Clark aged 43 (Spirit Merchant), Robina Clark aged 33, Jeanie Clark aged 9, Minnie Clark aged 1. From the 1901 Census - Address - 296a & b Main St, Coatbridge - Robina Hamilton Clark aged 40 (Spirit Dealer), Jeanie Clark aged 20, Archibald Clark aged 13, Minnie Clark aged 10, Gracie Clark aged 8, Matthew Clark aged 6, Donald Clark aged 3, servant Jessie Donald aged 20, Robina's niece Mary Morrison aged 14. Robina's husband Donald Campbell Clark (known as Daniel) died on the 08/04/1899 at Coatdyke. Robina is mentioned in her husbands Scotland, National Probate Index.

Born / Resided

Ballymoney, Co. Antrim / 16 East Stewart St, Coatbridge.

Died

Killed in Action on the 11/08/1916 at Vermelles

Enlisted

Lanark

Employed

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Age

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Buried / Remembered

Vermelles British Cemetery (III. M. 14), Pas de Calais, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

Vermelles was in German hands from the middle of October 1914 to the beginning of December 1914, when it was recaptured by the French. The cemetery was begun in August 1915 (though a few graves are slightly earlier), and during the Battle of Loos, when the Chateau was used as a dressing station, Plot I was completed. It was laid out and fenced by the Pioneers of the 1st Gloucesters, and known for a long time as "Gloucester Graveyard". The remaining Plots were made by the Divisions (from the Dismounted Cavalry Division onwards) holding the line 1.6 kilometres East of the cemetery until April 1917, and they incorporated a few isolated French graves of October 1914. From April 1917, to the Armistice, the cemetery was closed; but after the Armistice some graves were re-grouped and others were brought in (to Plots II, IV and VI) from the battlefields to the East. There are now over 2134 First World War casualties commemorated in this cemetery. Of these, 198 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to six soldiers from the United Kingdom, known to be buried among them. This cemetery also contains the graves of 11 casualties of other nationalities.

Additional Information

The Battalion arrived at Le Havre on the 05/11/1914 and were part of the 23rd Brigade, 8th Division when James fell. James arrived on the 16/03/1915. The Battalion took part on the opening phase of the Battle of the Somme : the Battle of Albert, 1st – 13th of July 1916 : In this opening phase, the French and British assault broke into and gradually moved beyond the first of the German defensive systems. For the British, the attack on the 1st July proved to be the worst day in the nation’s military history in terms of casualties sustained. It is the aspect of the battle that is most remembered and most written about, and for good reason – but to concentrate on the failures is to entirely miss the point of the Somme and why the battle developed into an epic period of the Great War. On the first day, British forces at the southern end of the British line made an impressive advance alongside the French Sixth Army, capturing the villages of Montauban and Mametz and breaking through the enemy’s defensive system. North of Mametz the attack was an almost unmitigated failure. The situation led to a redirection of effort, with the offensive north of the River Ancre effectively being closed down and all future focus being on the line south of Thiepval. There was a stiff fight for Trones Wood and costly, hastily planned and piecemeal attacks that eventually took La Boisselle, Contalmaison and Mametz Wood during the rest of the period up to the 13th July. James fell at Vermelles on the 11/08/1916. THE BATTALION WAR DIARY FOR THAT DAY STATES -"Battalion relieved in trenches & withdrawn to support. This tour in trenches was characterised by constant trench mortar activity on both sides. 2/Lieut E. G. WIGHTWICK accidentally wounded by rifle grenade. 1 Other Rank Killed in Action. 3 Other Ranks Wounded in Action." James was the Other Rank Killed in Action. SEE PHOTOS x 10 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY FROM 1st JULY - 11th AUGUST 1916. A huge thank you to my friend Tom and his father Jim and mother Robina Clark (same name as James' friend mentioned above) who paid respect to James on the 06/11/2020 and the 09/11/2021 at the Memorial (see photos x 11) and again on Remembrance Sunday 2022 at George Square, Glasgow and at the Coatbridge Memorial on the 18/11/2022 (see photos x 4). Another visit to the Coatbridge Memorial was made by Tom, Jim and Robina on Remembrance Sunday 2023 (see photos x 3). See photos for James' Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his name on the Ireland Casualties of WW1, his Headstone Report, Vermelles British Cemetery and the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Cap Badge. Finally see photos for James' friend Mrs Robina Clark's mention in her late husbands Will from 1899, another photo of James' grave, Vermelles British Cemetery taken by myself in July 2023, photos of James' grave taken in July 2023 x 2, myself at James' grave in July 2023 and the Poppy Cross I placed at James' grave before I left for France. The War Diary for the 2nd Battalion Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) from November 1914 - January 1918 is available online https://s-j-mcleay.medium.com/war-diary-2nd-battalion-scottish-rifles-the-cameronians-6f6fa2b38720

Photos
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War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

Creative Commons License

We have made this information and the images available under a Creative Commons BY-NC license. This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement: © coatbridgeandthegreatwar.com

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