Pte 38448 James Calland

• Age: 31
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 26th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Arras Memorial
  Panel Ref: Bay 3

James Calland was born September 1885 at Liverpool and he was the son of John and and Margaret Calland (nee Parle) who had married in 1868 in Liverpool.

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 45, St Oswalds Street, Liverpool. His father, John, is a widower, aged 64, born in Lancashire in 1837, and is a plumber by trade.  At the time of the Census he had seven of his children living at the address; Daniel aged 31, born 1870 is a butcher’s manager, Thomas aged 27, born 1874 is a general labourer, John aged 24, born 1877 and Oswald aged 19, born 1882 are both bakers, James aged 17, is a general labourer, Mary. J. aged 12, born 1889 and Agnes is aged 9, born 1892.

On the 1911 Census, James, is in the West Derby Union workhouse, an ostler in the livery stables.

He was serving with the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 38448 when he was killed in action on 26th April 1917. He had previously been listed as wounded in the local press on 08th December 1916. 

The 18th Battalion diary does not record any casualties on the 26th April 1917. 

James' body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as his name is recorded on the Arras Memorial in France.

The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).

Soldiers effects show his next of kin as brothers; Daniel, Frederick, Oswald, Thomas and half brother William and sisters Mary and Agnes, it also mentions his Sister in law Elizabeth A Calland and niece Edith (which is Oswald’s wife and daughter).

There is a J Calland commemorated on the Christ Church Window and Plaques in the Church on Linnet Lane, Liverpool.

We currently have no further information on James Calland, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.