Alphabetically: Previous | Next

10/11/1893 - 22/07/1920

Place of birth: Beckenham, Kent
Last known address in Bromley: 47 Westmoreland Road

Military information

Regiment/Service: Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Battalion/Ship: 6th Bn attd (Iraq) Indian Political Dept
Rank: Captain
Number: Unknown
Awards: Twice Mentioned in Dispatches, Croix de Guerre

Family information

Parents: James Saumarez & Amy Gertrude Mann
Parents' occupation: Journalist, formerly Classics Tutor Trinity College Oxford
Siblings: Julia De Lacy

Census information

1901
Address: 47 Westmoreland Road
1911
Address: 47 Westmoreland Road

Extra details

James was the youngest of James Saumarez and Amy Gertrude Mann (nee Bowman)'s two children. He attended a preparatory day-school in Bromley before entering Dulwich College in 1906, he rose rapidly, being elected to a Senior Scholarship in 1908.

In 1912 he gained a classical scholarship at Balliol College where he was still studying when war broke out. His Oxford life was a full one, he loved music and played the piano well. He was interested in everything he came across, and despite shyness made many friends. James was involved with the work of the St Ebbe's School Boy's Club, becoming its Secretary in Michaelmas Term 1913. Tall, strongly built, with a face which was somewhat grave when not lit up by an unusually bright smile, he was just the man to command the boy's respect.

In September 1914 he was in the training camp at Churn on the Berkshire Downs, where he was soon gazetted Captain to the 6th Battalion of the Royal West Kent Regiment. In June 1915 he crossed to France, and after a time in Bailleul went to the trenches at Ploegsteert and in the Le Touquet salient. On 10th August he was badly wounded, both legs having been severely damaged, and was kept in hospital in Rouen for some time before being invalided home. To his delight he was sent to the Oxford hospital in Somerville College. He recovered slowly - he always limped a little afterwards - and was appointed in May 1916 Assistant Adjutant, and afterwards Adjutant, to No 5 Officers' Cadet Battalion at Cambridge, where he found time to study Persian in the hope of getting an appointment in the East. In August 1917 he returned to France as a Staff-Captain in the Intelligence Corps, where he served until the armistice, being mentioned in despatches and awarded the Croix de Guerre with gold star.

Back at Balliol in January 1919 James studied Arabic and gave much of his time to reviving the Boys' Club, acting as its President for two terms. In July 1919 he got a semi-political appointment to Mesopotamia, which he expected to be office work in Baghdad. However his qualities were quickly recognised and in August he was appointed Assistant Political Officer at Umm al Bar'ur, an area about the size of Oxfordshire, between the Tigris and Euphrates. Nearly a year of strenuous and interesting work followed, much of it alone for weeks at a time, but his character and knowledge of Arabic won the confidence of the native chiefs. The rising in June 1920 compelled him to take refuge in Kufa where he was killed by a sniper on 22nd July.

Thank you to Balliol College, Oxford for their assistance.