Regiment: Border Regiment, 9th Battalion
Service No: 20148
Date & place of birth: 5 July 1870, Coventry
Date & place of death: Unknown
Alhough we have a good deal of information about James Vickers and his connection to Petworth, we do not have record of his death. It is possible he died after the war (possibly overseas as we cannot find a death record in England) and this information was not passed to the Commonwealth Graves Commission, but as his family was still local they ensured he was commemorated.
Family background
James Vickers was born in Coventry in 1870, the son of James (who died in 1910) and Bridget (who lived until 1937 and left £474 2s 4d.) James Senior was a soldier in Leeds in 1871, after which they moved to this area. He was stableman at Petworth Railway Station in 1881, a groom in Duncton in 1891 and a groom in Pound Street, Petworth in 1901.
James junior was living in Petworth with the family in 1881; by 1891 he was a soldier in the Border Regiment, based at Carlisle Castle.
By 1911 Bridget is recorded as having had 12 children, with 1 having died. The brothers we can trace are John, Joseph, Earnest and George, and sisters Helen, Tirza, Milicent, Annie, Helen (again – presumably the first Helen had died) and Gertrude.
Military service
We know James entered the theatre of war on 7 September 1915.
Death and commemoration
His medal card records that he left the army on 14 March 1919, when he was transferred to the Class ‘Z’ of the Army Reserve. He was awarded the Victory, British and 15 Star medals.
At present, we have been unable to trace details of his death.