1885 - 1916
CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916
Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916
Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916
Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918
Pte 57857 James Carter
- Age: 19
- From: South Hylton, Durham
- Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
- D.O.W Thursday 19th April 1917
- Commemorated at: Etaples Mil Cem
Panel Ref: XIX.D.4A
James Carter was born in in late 1897 the son of Robert Carter and his wife Isabella (nee Shepherd). His father was born in Norwich and his mother in Hylton, Sunderland. His parents married in Sunderland in 1874 and had 12 children. The couple moved to Lowestoft, Suffolk, where John, Isabella, and Mary were born, then returned to the Sunderland area where Margaret, Martha, Robert, James, Ada, and Sydney were born. Three other children died young.
In 1901 the family is living at 5 Wear Street, Ford (Hylton area), Durham.
His father is a labourer in a cement works, John is 22, a paper maker, Isabella, 20, and Mary, 17, also work in the paper mill. Robert is 6, and James 3. Many of their neighbours are also employed in the paper mill. Ada was born later in 1901, followed by Sydney in 1903.
By 1911 they have moved to 14 John Street, Hylton.
His father, 57, is still working as a labourer in a cement works, his mother is 53, Robert, 16, is an apprentice blacksmith in the shipyard, James, 13, Ada, 9, and Sydney, 7, are at school. They state five of their 12 children have died.
James enlisted in 1915 when he would have been 17 years old. He must have lied about his age in order to serve overseas.
He enlisted in Sunderland, joining the 3/1 Northumberland Division Cyclist Company as Private 15858. James disembarked in France on 19th October 1915. Perhaps he had just turned 18. He was transferred to the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 57857.
He died of wounds on 19th April 1917 at No.26 General Hospital, Etaples and now rests at Etaples Military Cemetery in France where his headstone bears the epitaph:
“JUST AS I AM WITHOUT ONE PLEA OH LAMB OF GOD I COME”
During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained.
The cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. It is the largest CWGC cemetery in France, and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
James earned his three medals.His mother received his Army effects and a War Gratuity of £9. The pension card in the name of his mother, at 14 John Street, shows that a pension of 15/- a week was awarded.
His father appears to have died in 1920, aged 66, and his mother in 1928, aged 71.
James is commemorated on the South Hylton Memorial, Railway Terrace, Sunderland.
We currently have no further information on James Carter, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.
Killed On This Day.
(110 Years this day)Wednesday 19th April 1916.
Pte 15260 William Porter
27 years old
(109 Years this day)
Thursday 19th April 1917.
Pte 57857 James Carter
19 years old
(109 Years this day)
Thursday 19th April 1917.
Pte 57792 Albany Howarth
19 years old
(109 Years this day)
Thursday 19th April 1917.
Pte 48091 William King
38 years old
(108 Years this day)
Friday 19th April 1918.
2nd Lieut Rowland Gill (MC) (MM)
33 years old