James Hampson

Age 34        Married

Company Quartermaster Sergeant 17181
1^st Bn., Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)

Killed in action on
Thursday 27^th September 1917

James was born in Barrow-in-Furness. His parents, John and Eleanor, moved to Sabden when he was less than a year old.  He attended the County School and was also a member of St Nicholas Church and a leading member of the village Dramatic Society.  On leaving school he was employed as a weaver.  In 1902, he began his career in the army.  James at first enlisted into the Cavalry and served in Ireland, but on the advice of an army physician he transferred into the Infantry and joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).  His first posting was to South Africa where, apart from a few riots involving the Boers, he wasn’t involved in much action.  James’s regiment then spent five years in India, during this time he was detailed as a telegrapher, sending messages from the firing line to the Commanders Quarters. 

After leaving the army at the rank of Corporal, James returned to Sabden and was married.  In 1910 along with his new wife Annie, they emigrated to New Bedford, USA, living at 213 Mainstreet, Fairhaven, James began work in the textile industry. 

On hearing about the outbreak of the war, James and Annie returned from America to Sabden, with James rejoining his old regiment at Nigg Camp, Scotland as an instructor  and Annie taking up residence at Nutter Barn, Sabden.  Shortly before his regiment was sent out to Belgium, he was promoted to Quartermaster Sergeant.  In April 1917 James was taken to hospital suffering from wounds received in action; two in the back, two in the hips and one to the right arm.  After recovering he was allowed a short leave home before rejoining his comrades in Belgium.  Shortly afterwards Annie received a letter from the Second-Lieutenant of the Cameronians informing her that James had been killed.

“Official intimation will have reached you of the death of your husband, James Hampson, Co-Quartermaster-Sergt, Cameronians, in action, and I feel I should just like to send you my own deepest sympathy in the very great loss you have sustained.  At a time like this I know writing is not of much avail to those plunged into such a veil of sorrow, but perhaps it may be some little solace for you to know in what high regard he was held by his officers.  He was my platoon sergeant, and held in very high esteem by both officers and men, and he was a very brave soldier.  He met his death while courageously leading forward the men to the attack, and died without pain of any kind, as he was shot through the head by a machine gun bullet.”

James Hampson has no known grave, he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

In Sabden he has been remembered on both the School and Church Plaques.