Pte 57546 James Amess

In 1891 the family is living at 3 Millbank Cottages, Stanley, Perthshire, with nine children at home. His father is a cotton mill clerk, James is 2.

 

They are at the same address in 1901. His father, 52, is a cotton spinner’s clerk, his mother is 50. Isabella is 24, a dressmaker, Maggie is 20, a newspaper compositor, John, 15, Stuart, 14, James and Agnes, 12, and Grace, 7, are at school.

 

James attended Perth Academy and Sharp’s Institution. According to a newspaper obituary, his father was a leading elder in the United Free Church, a confidential managing clerk and cashier at Stanley Mill.

 

Unfortunately, the 1911 Scotland census is not available, but he is aged 22, still in Angus, Dundee

A later newspaper report (Perthshire Advertiser, 18th May 1918) states that James served an apprenticeship with Messrs. J. & R. Smail, in Perth, and before enlisting was employed by Messrs. Dickie & Sons, ironmongers, Dundee.

He enlisted in Dundee served originally as Private 843 in the Highland Divisional Cyclist Company. The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he served for about two years. James wrote a Will dated 05th December 1916, likely indicating that he shipped overseas shortly afterwards.

He now rests at Esquelbecq Military Cemetery, France. 

The cemetery was opened in April 1918 during the early stages of the German offensive in Flanders, when the 2nd Canadian and 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations came to Esquelbecq. It was closed in September 1918, although one French grave was added in 1919 and one British soldier from 1916 was added later from an isolated site.

The cemetery was used again during the Second World War, mainly for the burial of those killed during the German advance of May 1940 and the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force to Dunkirk.

Esquelbecq Military Cemetery contains 578 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 47 from the Second World War. There are also 11 French and German burials.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

The CWGC Graves Registration form shows that, at the time of his death, James was attached to the 89th Trench Mortar Battery (30th Division). 

A nursing sister wrote a condolence letter to his mother on 17th May, which still survives:

 

 

 

 

 

 

His mother received James’ Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £11. No pension card has been found, suggesting that James lived independently before enlisting and had no dependants.  Probate was granted to his mother in the amount of £171-16s-2d.

 

His mother died in Perth, aged 77, on 29th August 1928. 

 

His twin, Agnes, became a nurse and lived until 1981.

 

His brother John left his post as an English teacher at Stirling High School and joined the Army in July 1917, serving in the Machine Gun Corps, and his brother Stuart served in the Army Service Corps.  Both brothers lived into their 90s.

 

James is commemorated on the following Memorials -

Stanley United Free Church Tablet

Auchtergaven War Memorial

Scottish National War Memorial

Stanley War Memorial in an enclosed area next to St Columba's Church, Perth Road, Stanley, Perth And Kinross, Tayside, PH1 4LT

Perth Academy and Sharps Institution,  Murray Place, Perth, Tayside, PH1 1NJ.

 

Grateful thanks are extended to Dave Dykes who advised that the Perth Academy had visited James' grave in order to pay tribute to him. The following is taken from the Perth Academy website:

Despite a two-year delay due to Covid, in December 2022 a group of students and staff from James's old school finally had the privilege of visiting his grave at Esquelbecq Cemetery, laying a wreath and reading Nursing Sister Clare's letter at his graveside.

As a tribute to James and Clare the students adorned the wreath with photographs, Scottish and Canadian poppies, maple leaves and two school ties - one from Perth Academy and the other kindly supplied by Clare’s old school, King’s-Edgehill in Nova Scotia.