James Milroy, Trooper (114764) Royal Canadian Dragoons was aged 42 when he died of wounds on 9 December 1917 at a Casualty Clearing Station in Tincourt, Somme, France.

James was born on 14 January 1875 at Galdenoch Farm in the parish of Stoneykirk, Wigtownshire, Scotland. He was the son of Margaret Hannah Wilson, a dairymaid, and he was registered as James McDowall Wilson. Some months later his father’s name, James Milroy, a farmer at Galdenoch, was added to the register.

Margaret married John McKnight and had a daughter, Elizabeth. They lived in Colvend Parish, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. Both Margaret and Elizabeth were named as next-of-kin in James Milroy’s service file.

James was working as a rancher at Maple Creek when he enlisted there on 21 December 1914 (giving his year of birth as 1882). He was posted to the 9th Canadian Mounted Rifles Regiment and sailed from Canada on the SS California in November 1915. Later he was transferred to the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

On 1 December 1917 the Dragoons were in action, dismounted, near Roisel. 1 Officer and 9 Other Ranks were wounded. James was treated for a gun shot wound to the chest but died of his wounds on 9 January 1918. He is buried in Tincourt New British Cemetery, Somme, France and is remembered on the Colvend Parish War Memorial and on the family gravestone in Colvend Parish Churchyard.

In a sad postscript, Elizabeth’s son and James Milroy’s nephew, John McKnight Martin, Corporal (3190457) 7th (Airborne) Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers (Galloway) 1st Airlanding Brigade, was killed in action on 25 September 1944 and is buried in Arnhem Oosterbrook War Cemetery.

(Originally entered by user kenmorrison as a comment and moved by Admin.)