JAMIESON, James

War
1st World War
Date of Birth
Date Attested
Attested at
Camrose, Alberta
Original Unit
Regimental Number
625007
Rank
Private
Date of Death
Age at Death
28 years 1 month
Biographical Summary

DIVISIONAL UNIT:     4th Canadian Infantry Division
                                   10th Infantry Brigade
                                   50th Battalion  -  Calgary
                                   Canadian Infantry Corps
RESIDENCE:             Hastings Coulee – Alberta 
DATE OF BIRTH:       September 19, 1889
                                   Seaforth – Tuckersmith Township – County of Huron - Ontario
DATE OF DEATH:      October 26, 1917                 28 years     1 month
CEMETERY:              Nine Elms British Cemetery – Poperinge –
                                   West Vlaanderen – Belgium
                                   VII     B     17
PARENTS:                 Mr. William and Mary Jamieson – Londesborough - Ontario                                          Personal:                   James received his education in Huron County and was raised in the Presbyterian faith and                                        then moved to Alberta where he earned his living as a farmer.

In early October 1916, Private Jamieson departed from Canada on board the SS California and arrived overseas in Liverpool on October 13th. The day he arrived he transferred to the 9th Reserve Battalion based on the St. Martin Plain - Kent. On November 14th, he transferred to the 50th Battalion and then went overseas into France and Private Jamieson then joined his unit in the field on May 19, 1917.                                                                                The 50th Battalion was situated near Passchendaele on October 26th and on this day the weather was dull, the winds were west-north-west and the ground situation was vile.                                                                                       At 9:40 am "D" Company advanced to prolong the support line of the 46th Battalion and the 47th Battalion sent a Company to reinforce the 50th Battalion. At 1:30 pm the enemy artillery increased dramatically and at this point the Battalion machine guns began a long and prolonged period of fire. The enemy fire onto the Battalion front was very heavy, and an SOS was sent up due to the heavy and intense enemy fire. By 2 pm "D" Company had moved forward with the advancing troops and patrols were then sent out to being the dead and wounded back in.               At 4:45 pm the Battalion was ordered to advance in support of the 46th Battalion which were being forced back by the enemy. As the 50th moved to support the 46th began to retreat but the men of the 50th were able to hold fast. The men of "D" Company who had dug themselves in were also able to stay put and all the posts from 1 thru 12 were all manned.                                                                                                                                                            On October 26th, the 4th Canadian Division was advancing up the higher and drier Passchendaele Ridge and their advance was successful.                                                                                                                                                Private Jamieson received shrapnel wounds to his lumbar area and was tended to immediately in the field before being moved to No. 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station where he died later in the day.                                            During this day of battle the 50th Battalion casualties were 26 men killed and 67 men wounded.