INCE, JAMES

Photograph with kind permission from the Uttoxeter Advertiser

James’ father was the works manager at Messrs. Bamfords and before enlistment James was a fitter there^[6d].

The 1901 Census recorded the family as follows^[2a]:

James was one of the young men who rallied to the colours in the early days of the war. In early September 1914 the Uttoxeter Advertiser reported that he had been among a group of men who had left Uttoxeter to join the forces^[6a].

By the time he was killed he had seen three years’ service^[6d].

James first served as 3011 in the North Staffordshire Regiment^{[SDGW, 2c, 4]}. His first posting was to Northern Ireland and he was present during the Sinn Fein revolt^[6d].

In January 1917 he was serving at Walton on Naze^[4].

From there he went to France; he arrived in France with the North Staffordshire Regiment^[2c] and served as a machine-gunner^[6d].

He then formed part of a batch of 75 men who transferred from the North Staffordshire Regiment to the King’s Liverpool Regiment in mid 1917^[2c].Judging from the war diary for the time leading up to his death^[2d], James was killed by shellfire. Note that he was killed on the 23^rd of September 1917:

Brandhoek       22/9/17        Remained in Erie Camp until 4.15pm when the Battalion moved off to entraining point near Brandhoek, duly arriving at Ypres at 7pm when the Battalion proceeded to the relief of the 11th and 12th Royal Scots in the right support position ie Hanneke Wood, Sans Souci and Potsdam.

The relief was duly completed by 2am.

The Battalion Details took over the portion of Ayr Camp (Brandhoek)

Line                 23/9/17        Remained in the above position which was heavily shelled throughout the day, a hostile barrage being put down from Hanneke to Potsdam in reply to our own

24/9/17        Remained in right support position until midnight when the Battalion was relieved by the 8th KORL and moved back to position in the old enemy front line which was in a battered position.

Notification of his death reached his parents on Sunday morning, 14^th October 1917, three weeks after he died^[6d].

The Uttoxeter Advertiser published an extract from a letter that Major J. Dean Atkinson, James’s commanding officer, wrote to James’s mother^[6d]:

 “I am very grieved to inform you that your son was killed in action on September 29, 1917, while gallantly doing his duty. He was a very good N.C.O., and of great assistance to me. It is a satisfaction to me, as I trust it will be a consolation to you, that he died worthily serving his country, and that his death was instantaneous.

He was buried by his comrades, and a little cross was erected on his grave, which is situated about 500 yards west of Zonnebeke Station. Trusting you will accept my sympathy.”

Note that all other sources agree that he died on the 23^rd of September, not the 29^th as stated in the above. Perhaps the number 29 was a transcript or typographical error in the Uttoxeter Advertiser?

His parents received the official notification of James’s death on 14^th October 1917, two weeks after he died.

After the war the authorities moved graves together from many small cemeteries and gathered them into the large cemetery at Tyne Cot. James’ grave was one of them.

James Ince is in Grave XV. C. 24. of Tyne Cot Cemetery

Tyne Cot Cemetery

In addition, his brother served and survived the war. John was four years older than James^[2a].

At the time of James’s death, his brother had been in the Army for three years. He had been seriously wounded during the fighting at the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13^th October 1915^{[6b, 6d]} and had been at the side of Oswald Bamford when Oswald fell^[6d].

Uttoxeter lost many men that terrible day and the Uttoxeter Advertiser quoted from a letter they had received shortly afterwards ^[6b]:

Writing to us from the field of battle, Pte. Yates, of the 5^th North Staffordshire Regiment, says:-

  “I am a native of the Potteries, and got mixed up with several lads from Uttoxeter who were wounded after the great charge they made. I noticed one or two footballers who used to play for the Territorials Football Club. I saw poor Stubbs, J. Ince, Dan Hayes, Clem and Jack Crutchley (brothers), W. Holmes, Sergt. Hodson, Sergt. Shirley, Sergt. Kelly, Bert Richardson (who got killed), and a referee I know well by sight – I think his name is Price. He had got his hand bandaged up, and was helping a wounded comrade, as cheerful as could be.

Sergt. Kenny and Sergt. Henshall also were wounded. There was a goalkeeper named Bloor (I think his father was a store-dealer). Poor old Uttoxeter lads – they did the charge well, and paid the penalty. I have lost all my comrades from Goldenhill . . . I picked up the ‘Uttoxeter Advertiser’ on the field of battle, and I thought you would like to know.”

Presumably he also went through the battle of the Somme in 1916.

He was in a camp in the Midlands when news of James’s death was received^[6d].