James Graham

Died of Wounds on the 18/09/1915. Admitted to Hospital the day before.

James was a reservist and was called up at the outbreak of war. James and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 09/07/1915 and were part of the 45th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division. James was wounded on the 17/09/1915 and died of those wounds the following day (see Service Record 2 and 13). The 11th (Service) Battalion were at the Trenches X2 Sector when James was wounded. The War Diary states - "September 19th - Up to date our casualties during the tour have been 3 Killed and 8 Wounded". SEE PHOTOS x 15 FOR THE 11th (SERVICE) BATTALION WAR DIARY SEPTEMBER 1915. Casualties of the Battle of Loos : More than 61,000 British casualties were sustained in this Battle. 50,000 of them were in the main fighting area between Loos and Givenchy and the remainder in the subsidiary attacks. Of these, 7,766 men died. Casualties were particularly high among Scots units. Many New Army units, rushed into a battle area for the first time only a matter of days after landing in France, were devastated. A significant proportion of the remaining pre-war regular troops were lost, and more than 2,000 Officers were Killed or Wounded. This irreplaceable asset in experienced men and leaders was a most serious loss to the army. The New Army units that had taken part in a major action for the first time had suffered heavily ' but had shown without doubt that they were worthy soldiers. Here is a list of Infantry Battalions who lost more than 500 men at the Battle of Loos from 25/09/1915 to 16/10/1915 - 7th Cameron Highlanders 687, of which 19 Officers, 9th Black Watch 680, of which 20 Officers, 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers 650, of which 20 Officers, 10th Highland Light Infantry 648, of which 20 Officers, 7th King's Own Scottish Borderers 631, of which 20 Officers, 8th Devons 619, of which 19 Officers, 8th Royal West Kents 580, of which 24 Officers, 8th Buffs 558, of which 24 Officers, 12th Highland Light Infantry 553, of which 23 Officers, 8th Black Watch 511, of which 19 Officers, 5th North Staffordshire 505, of which 20 Officers, 8th Seaforth Highlanders 502, of which 23 Officers. British casualties in the main Loos front between 25 September and 16 October 1915 : 15th (Scottish) Division: 6,896 of which 228 Officers, 9th (Scottish) Division: 6,058 of which 190 Officers. James is also remembered on the Trinity Parish Church Roll of Honour (see photos). See photos for James' Medal Index Card, Newspaper clipping from the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser 23/10/1915, a photo of James' mother and 4 brothers (front-Alec, Marion and Geordie. back-Peter, Robert and Andrew), his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, James' Pension Records x 3, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his Service Record x 13 (Service Record 11 mentions brothers and sisters), Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Cap Badge. James' grave inscription reads "TO MEMORY EVER DEAR". Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 16 FOR THE 15th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION BOOK FROM JULY 1915 - SEPTEMBER 1915 (before the Battle of Loos had commenced) and the 15th (Scottish) Division Order of Battle x 13 (the Division he was with when he died).