Date of Birth 1892
Place of Birth Southampton
Rank Private
Service No 22417
Regiment Hampshire Regiment
Regiment 1st Battalion.
Death Location France and Flanders
Died 26/7/1917
Life Before The War
James was born in 1892 to Joseph and Priscilla, nee Corke. They married in 1892.
He had 2 sisters Florence (b.1894), Hilda (b.1904) and 2 brothers William (b.1896) and Albert (b.1898). James and his brothers and sisters were all born in Freemantle, Southampton.
The 1891 census states that Priscilla lives with her parents James and Eliza Corke at 222 Shirley Road, Southampton. Her father was a Painter.
In the 1891 census Joseph Munday is registered as living as a boarder at 224 Shirley Road, Southampton and working as a Corn Labourer at the docks. His place of birth was given as Babbington, Wiltshire.
However, in the 1901 census Joseph’s birthplace is given as Maddington in Wiltshire and his year of birth as 1860. Priscilla was born in Millbrook, Southampton in 1867. On the census it records that Priscilla is not working whilst Joseph is employed as a General Labourer. They also record that one of their children has died. They were now living at 222 Shirley Road, Southampton.
By now living at 22 Dyer Road, Freemantle, Southampton, in the 1911 census Joseph is employed as a Corn Porter, his mother is not working, James was a Carman, Florence a tailoress and William a milkman whilst Albert and Hilda were at school. Priscilla’s mother Eliza Corke was living with them, she was a widow, 83 years old and registered as “feeble”. She was born on the Isle of Wight.
War Service
James joined the Hampshire Regiments and served in the 1st Battalion as a Private. 1st battalion landed at Le Havre on the 23rd of August 1914 arriving in time to provide infantry reinforcements at the Battle of Le Cateau. They were in action at the The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne and at The Battle of Messines in 1914. In 1915 they fought in The Second Battle of Ypres and in 1916 moved south and were in action during the Battles of the Somme. In 1917 they were at Arras, in action during the The First and Third Battles of the Scarpe, before heading north for the Third Battle of Ypres. James was killed in action on the 26th July 1917 while taking part in the action at the Northern Flank.
He is remembered on the Arras Memorial Panel Reference Bay 6.
He was awarded the British Medal.
Researched by Brenda White and his great great niece March 2014.
