Private James Stubbs

A white circle with a glove crossing it's fingers and the words: Made Possible with Heritage Fund.This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley's Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
Click here to go to the Main page
Supported by the National Lottery's Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it's new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.


Private. 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment. Service number 12380.

A faded newspaper photograph of a British Army soldier in uniform, from the Great War 1914 to 1918.

Private James Stubbs.

Early life:

James was born in Keighley in 1885, his birth was registered in the town in the first quarter of 1886. His parents were John Stubbs and Agnes Stubbs, née Bingham who were originally from Kendal in Lancashire.
It appears that they took James to Kendal for his christening (perhaps to include their families) although they were actually living in Keighley at that time. James was baptised on 29th January 1886.

In the 1891 census James was aged five and living with his parents and three year old brother William at 33, Harcourt Street in the Parkwood area of Keighley. Father John was 29 and a sawyer, Agnes was 26 and a worsted mill hand.

By the 1901 census James was aged 15 and living with his parents at 8, Water Street off Dalton Lane, with his parents and 13 year old brother William. James and William were both bobbin setters at a worsted mill. Their father John was still a wood sawyer and Agnes was looking after the family home.

On 4th September 1909, James married Emma Tatham at St. Mary's church in the Eastwood area of Keighley. St. Mary's church no longer exists and was located next to Dalton Mills on Dalton Lane.
Their marriage record shows that James was a 23 year old labourer living at 2, Barrett Street and Emma was 20 years old and living at 13, Rhodes Place in Keighley.
Their marriage was registered at Keighley in the third quarter of that year.

By the time of the 1911 census they were living at 170, Parkwood Street in Keighley and James was aged 25 and employed as a labourer with a rustless iron manufacturer. This was TRICO [Their name is taken from the initials of the words: The Rustless Iron CO-mpany.] Emma was aged 22 and they had been married for 18 months. They have had just one child, John who is under one year old, having been born on 9th May, 1910. Also living with them is Sarah Franks, aged 46 and a widow. She is Emma's mother and was called Sarah Tatham, but has reverted back to her maiden surname.

James' parents are living at Alfred Street in Keighley with his brothers William aged 23 and his much younger brother John, who was aged just five.
William later emigrated to Canada, he served with the Canadian Army and survived the war.

War service:

James enlisted sometime around December, 1914. (calculated from the war gratuity in his soldier's effects records) His name is also listed in 'Keighley's Gallant Sons, which is a published list of early volunteers from Keighley. It states he was living at 170, Parkwood Street so he's the same man.

He served with the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment, having entered France on 4th May 1915.
He was wounded in late July or early August of 1916, and was reported in the newspaper as being at Edinburgh Hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg.
The battalion war diary indicates that the battalion was either in huts or far behind the lines, with no reports of casualties in the first days of August. The only previous mention of casualties in the July diary was on 19th July, when 60 other ranks were wounded by shelling when they were in the front lines digging a new trench and this digging had to be stopped, owing to the shelling. It is likely that this was when James was wounded. It was serious enough to warrant him being evacuated to Edinburgh Hospital in the UK.

Keighley News 5th August 1916, page 5:

Two Keighley Brothers, Private William Stubbs, Canadian Contingent, and Private James Stubbs, West Riding Regiment, have been wounded. The former is suffering from shrapnel wounds in the left arm and legs, and is in a Sheffield hospital, while the latter is in the Edinburgh Military Hospital with a bullet wound in his thigh.

James would have eventually returned to his unit in the field and was back serving with them in May 1917.


Battalion War Diary. WO-05/1508/1:

1st May:
Battalion in the line. The day was comparatively quiet. Companies occupied trenches according to Operation Order no. 26 attached. About 2 pm, enemy shelled trenches held by no. 2 Company causing some casualties. Casualties - 2 other ranks killed 5 other ranks wounded. second Lieutenants McDowall, R. A., Willeyer, Harrison, D., joined from 3rd Battalion.

2nd May:
Battalion in the line. The day was quiet there being little shelling.
At 11.pm, Battalion headquarters moved to RAILWAY ARCH at H.18.d.3.2. while Companies moved to ASSEMBLY TRENCHES SOUTH of the RAILWAY. Completion of the move was reported at 12. midnight. Casualties - 2 other ranks wounded.

3rd May:
3.45 am: “Attack” began. Enemy’s barrage came down within 40 Secs, and on the front covered by the Battalion, was directed chiefly on the RAILWAY EMBANKMENT and the ROAD under the RAILWAY at H.18.d.3.2. and on the front line trenches.

5.15 am: Wounded coming back reported that fighting still continued in the CHEMICAL WORKS.

5.30 am: Wounded reported that the CHEMICAL WORKS had been captured. It was decided to move Battalion HQ. there. Advance parties were sent forward and reported that the whole of the ground SOUTH of the EMBANKMENT was swept by heavy M.G. fire. In view of the certain heavy loss of personnel it was decided not to move forward. Battalion HQ. remained in the RAILWAY ARCH all day being continuously subjected to an intense fire of High Explosive and GAS SHELLS. Several casualties occurred, but the ARCH was not penetrated.

10 am: Sergeant THORNTON and Lance Corporal ELBELL came back from the Battalion with a message from Sergeant REID. They stated that the Battalion had advanced to a hill top from which they looked straight down upon a large village. (This statement was subsequently confirmed by a wounded man who also got back). At this point, which must have been the BLUE LINE, the Battalion was swept with very heavy frontal and enfilade Machine Gun fire. All surviving officers became casualties and the remnants of the Battalion 30 men under Company Sergeant Major BAMBOROUGH fell back to the BLACK LINE, where, in company with remnants of different units of the 10th and 12th Brigades, about 100 men in all, they dug in. The message from Sgt REID stated that they were “200 foot from the RAILWAY and 30 yards in front of the BLACK LINE, that they had about 30 men and no officers, that there were only a few of the 10th Brigade men over on the right and that the Germans were on the left, he said they were cut off, and asked for reinforcements”. The two NCO’s and one man mentioned above each stated separately that Sgt REID with a party of 6 men had captured two German Machine Guns in the BLACK LINE and had buried them. This report was confirmed by the THIRD ARMY INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY dated 5.5.17 which reported that three German M.G. had been in the BLACK LINE and their detachments had been captured, (position of capture approximately I.14.C. 5.4.).

10.10 am: Message sent to Company Sergeant Major BAMBOROUGH ordering him if possible to withdraw, fighting, to the CHEMICAL WORKS. Neither of the NCO’s sent with this message succeeded in delivering it. Various attempts made later to get the message forward all failed. It was known that the CHEMICAL WORKS group of buildings had been captured and was still held by Moppers up of the Battalion, but that the CHATEAU and large house just north of it were still in the enemy's hands. Machine Gun fire from these rendered it impossible to cross the ROEUX GAVRELLE ROAD. During the whole day only three men crossed it – i.e. the 3 men mentioned above.

10.15 am: Message sent to 12th Infantry Brigade Headquarters asking for reinforcements with a view to an immediate attack through the CHATEAU up to the BLACK LINE. These reinforcements did not come up till 5 pm.

11 am: A report was received from the 1st KINGS OWN that a small party of that regiment together with about 10 men 2nd DUKE OF WELLINGTONS had dug in immediately WEST of the CHATEAU but were unable to move. (The survivors of this party managed to return after nightfall). Touch with 10th Infantry Brigade. Had not yet been obtained, and as it was uncertain where they were the RAILWAY ARCH was prepared for defence by sand-bagging the SOUTHERN entrance and placing a Machine Gun in position there.

4 pm: News was received from the 12th Infantry Brigade that a strong German Counter Attack had passed over the BLACK LINE about 2 pm. Parties of the 10th Brigade Were seen to be holding CEYLON and COLNE TRENCHES.

5 pm: Two Companies of the HAMPSHIRE REGT. (11th Brigade) reported for orders. As it was now certain that we were no longer holding the BLACK LINE, and as the ground SOUTH of the RAILWAY was still swept by M.G. fire it was decided not to attack, but to push one Company forward to CALABAR TRENCH and to keep one Company in the trenches just NORTH of the RAILWAY ARCH till dusk, and then push them up to the trench just SOUTH of the RAILWAY EMBANKMENT and WEST of the BUILDINGS.

5.30 pm: As the 10th Brigade. Reported that the CHATEAU was not held by the enemy an attempt was made by the mixed party of 1st KINGS OWN and 2ND DUKE OF WELLINGTON’S who had dug in just WEST of the CHATEAU to rush the building. They were met by intense Machine Gun fire before they were able to get out of the trench and they therefore fell back.

6 pm: Orders were received for Battalion Headquarters to move to FAMPOUX and for the remnants of the Battalion to occupy the trenches immediately NORTH of the RAILWAY ARCH.

8.40 pm: Move of Battalion Headquarters was completed.

10 pm: 16 other ranks had been collected in the trenches mentioned in the last paragraph.

CASUALTIES. OFFICERS ONE KILLED TWO WOUNDED, FIVE WOUNDED & MISSING. FOUR MISSING. 9 O.R. KILLED, 103 O.R. WOUNDED, 279 O.R.MISSING


James was reported missing on 3rd May 1917 and eventually accepted as having died on on about that date. He was 31 years old when he died.

Keighley News 28th July 1917 page 3:

Mrs. J. Stubbs, of 71, Parkwood Street, Keighley, has received news that her husband, Private James Stubbs, (30), of the West Riding Regiment, has been missing since May 3. He has been on active service since the beginning of the war, and has been wounded twice before. In civil life he was employed by the Rustless Iron Company, Lawkholme Lane, Keighley.
(Photo on same page.)

Red Cross Prisoner of war records:

There is a set of records for James with the International Committee for the Red Cross, Prisoners of War records.
One record dated 7th August 1917 states that James Stubbs was: soldier no. 12380, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, 9th Company. Died 5th May 1917 in ‘Hptvdpl’ (hospital?) Buried at Friedhof Lambres Cemetery, grave 40.
This means that whilst he went missing on 3rd May 1917, he was a wounded prisoner of war and he died of his wounds on 5th May 1917.

The concentration record from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states that his grave had a German cross and that several years after the war his body was exhumed along with several others in 1923 and reburied at Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery. His final resting place is grave 4 of row E, plot 13.

His widow Emma was his next of kin and the sole legatee in his will. She would have received any personal effects, along with his service medals which were the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Later she would receive a bronze war memorial plaque and King's certificate inscribed with his name.
Emma received James' remaining Army pay which was £7 7s 3d on 27th February 1918 and a war gratuity payment of £11 on 6th October 1919.
With regard to a dependant's pension, Emma received a pension for herself and their son John which amounted to 18s 9d per week beginning on 21st December 1917. Emma also received a grant of £5 on 27th February 1918.
She was later living at 74, Britannia Square in Keighley and they were living there in the 1921 census record. Emma was 32 years and 10 months old and employed as a sliverer in a worsted mill owned by Sutcliffe and Co. John was aged 11 years and two months old and was full-time at school.
[a sliverer combs or cards the raw worsted fibres together to run parallel with each other, ready for spinning] Emma was still doing this work in 1939 when she was living at 15, Campbell Street in Keighley. She died aged 86 in 1975. Her death was registered in Staincliffe, North Yorkshire in the first quarter of the year.
James and Emma's son John was married to Emily Stone on 30th September 1933 when they were both aged 23. John was a motor driver living at 74, Britannia Street and Emily was a reeler living at 25, Bengal Street in Keighley.
In the 1939 register John was driving a motor lorry, delivering coal and Emily was looking after the family home and their son John G., who had been born on 16th September 1938.

John died in 1977 aged about 67.

Information sources:

England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
1911 England Census
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
Regimental Number 12380
Type of Casualty Died of wounds
Theatre of War Western European Theatre
National Archives WW1 British Army War Diaries.
1914-1918 Prisoners of the First World War
International Committee of the Red Cross, historical archives
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
1921 Census Of England & Wales
1939 Register
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007

No Comments Yet.

Leave a comment

You must be Logged in to post a comment.