Pte. Stanley James "C" Battery June 16 1916*

*Note: the cenotaph incorrectly lists his date of death as 1916, rather than 1917 as appears in the commonwealth grave register.

Signaller Stanley James
Source Toronto Star, June 16, 1917

Harold Stanley James 349019

Harold James's Birth record

Harold Stanley James was born on January 24^th, 1895 in Warsaw Ontario.  His parents were Benjamin James Jr., a shoemaker, and Jennie (ne. Sanders) James.  The 1901 Census records that the James family was at that time located in Norwood, where Benjamin was still employed as a shoemaker.  By 1911, the family had moved to 40 Humberside Avenue in Toronto.  At this time, Stanley, 16, was still living with his parents and working as a show card/sign writer.

Stanley enlisted in the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Kingston, Ontario in April 17, 1916.  He was just over 21 years old and had no previous military experience.  He was 5 foot, 9 ½ inches tall, had a medium complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.  He listed his religion as Methodist. 

He arrived in France in April 1917 with the 1^st Heavy Battery, Canadian Field Artillery.  He was assigned the duty of signaller, which usually meant observing artillery targets close to the front line during bombardments, and relaying information back to them.  During his time of over a year at the front, he contracted meningitis and was sent to No. 46 Stationary Hospital in Etaples, France. Gunner H. Stanley James died there on June 16, 1917 at the age of 22.  He was buried in Etaples Military Cemetery.  He is commemorated on the cenotaph in Warsaw, Ontario. 

Sources:

War Graves Registry: Circumstances of Death Records. Record Group 150, 1992–1993/314, Boxes 145–238. Library and Archives Canada. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Births and Stillbirths – 1869-1913. MS 929, reels 1-245. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Archives of Ontario.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1901. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2004.  Series RG31-C-1. Statistics Canada Fonds. Microfilm reels: T-6428 to T-6556.

Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1911. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2007. Series RG31-C-1. Statistics Canada Fonds. Microfilm reels T-20326 to T-20460.

War Graves Registry: Circumstances of Death Records; (RG150, 1992-1993/314, Boxes 39-144); Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

Toronto Star.  “Sig. James Dead.” June 16, 1917.