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James Shaw (1898-1918)


Woollen spinner from Saddleworth, Yorkshire served in 15 DLI died as a POW and is buried in Cologne


James Shaw, the son of Robert Shaw and Sarah Shaw nee Bottomley, was born in Delph, Saddleworth, Yorkshire, on 14 August 1898. He had a brother and two sisters and lived all his life in the Saddleworth area until he was called up on 20 August 1916 at Huddersfield, Yorkshire and posted to the Army Reserve when working as a woollen spinner.

James was mobilised on 9 May 1917 and posted to the 5th Training Reserve Battalion at Rugeley, Staffordshire. After initial training he was transferred to the 3rd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (DLI) on 28 September 1917 and landed in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on 20 December 1917. The following day he was re-posted to the 18th Battalion and three days later transferred again, this time to the 15th Battalion, DLI.

At the end of May 1918, as part of the 21st Division, 15 Battalion, DLI faced a massive attack by the enemy near Rheims, France and on 27 May 1918 James was reported missing. He was captured by the enemy near St Quentin, France and sent at first to Rethal, in the Ardennes. He was sent from there to a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp at Darmstadt, Germany but was later transferred to a hospital in Munster, Germany where he died of pneumonia on 6 November, 1918. He was buried in the local cemetery but later re-interred in the Cologne Southern Cemetery.

https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/5224496/3/2/
https://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/34600/cologne-southern-cemetery/

Birth date: 14-Aug-1898

Death date: 06-Nov-1918

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: Mount Zion, Saddleworth, Yorkshire (1901 census)
High Street, Saddleworth, Yorkshire (1911 census)
Mount Zion, Delph, Yorkshire (British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920)

Employment: Woollen spinner (British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920)

Family: Father: Robert Shaw
Mother: Sarah Shaw (nee Bottomley)
Siblings: Amy, Rufus & Edith Shaw

Military service:

3rd, 18th & 15th Battalions, Durham Light Infantry
Service nos: 18957 & 77380
Private

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Memorial(s): Cologne Southern Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Grave Ref: XVII.A.8
DLI 1914-1918 Book of Remembrance, Durham Cathedral
St Thomas’ Church, Friarmere, Delph Memorial
Pots & Pans Hill, Saddleworth War Memorial

Gender: Male

Contributed by John Edwards


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