Richardson, James Edward

Rank Private, 5th Bn Royal Scots
Service Number 3079
Born 15 Nov 1891 in Leith
Parents Henry (ship’s steward) and Emilie Richardson
Date of death 27 August 1915 (Aged 23)
Grave Buried at sea, off Cape Helles
Other Memorials Helles Memorial, Inverkeithing Memorial, Scottish National War Memorial.

 


 

Other Information

James was only 5 feet 3 inches tall.

He enlisted on 26 December 1914, technically as a Territorial, but was immediately active.

He joined the 5th battalion which in March 1915 became part of 88th Brigade of the 29th Division.
The 29th Division served in the 1915 Gallipoli campaign against the Turkish army.

The Division embarked at Avonmouth on 16th-22nd March 1915 and went via Malta to Alexandria.

On the 7th April re-embarkation began for the first units to have arrived at Egypt, for the move to Mudros.
The Division landed at Cape Helles on Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915 and his unit was one of the first ashore.
His service record shows that in July and August 1915, like so many of his colleagues, he suffered from sickness and diarrhoea while serving in the trenches.

He then received a gunshot wound in the shoulder and was removed to HM Hospital Ship Nevasa where he died on Monday 27th August 1915 and was buried at sea off Cape Helles.

The Scotsman Newspaper reported his death on Tuesday the 28th September 1915.

His mother re-married (Mrs Pedersen) and lived in Seaview, North Queensferry.

 


Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Scottish National War Memorial (Edinburgh Castle.)
National Archives. Service Record. Medal Card. Soldier’s Effects.
Scottish War Memorials Project.
Alex Morris


Here dead we lie, Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land, From which we sprung.

Life, to be sure, Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is, And we were young.

[Here Dead We Lie, A.E. Housman]

When You Go Home,
Tell Them Of Us And Say,

For Your Tomorrow,
We gave our Today

[Kohima, attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds]

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