Lance Corporal James Gordon
James Gordon was born on 22 December 1890 at Tamlet, Monaghan, the fourth of six children of farmer William Gordon and his wife Sarah (née Brown). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Tamlet with his parents and three of his four surviving siblings and working on the family farm.
James, with his brother William Gordon, enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 14 January 1915 (No.1402). On 17 November 1915 they embarked for France with F Squadron, which at the time was serving as divisional cavalry to the 33rd Division.
In June 1916 F Squadron combined with C Squadron and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron to form the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to X Corps until September 1917, when the regiment was disbanded and its men transferred to the infantry. Like most, Gordon was posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion – on 20 September, joining it in the field at Ruyaulcourt five days later. He was issued regimental number 41184.
He probably saw action with the battalion at the Battle of Cambrai in November and December 1917.
Gordon was wounded during the during the German spring offensive, probably in the fighting near Kemmel Hill during early to mid-April 1918. Evacuated to England for hospital treatment, on 9 August 1918 he was discharged from the army, being 'no longer physically fit for war service' (paragraph 392 (xvi), King's Regulations).
After the war Gordon and his brother William lived for a time at 33 Lothair Avenue, Belfast. He returned to Tamlet, however, where he died on 22 March 1921. The Northern Whig and Belfast Post reported that:
James Gordon, aged about 24 years, who resides in the townland of Tamlet, at Corby Rock, near Monaghan, was found dead hanging from a beam in the barn yesterday morning. The deceased had been in the late war, and had suffered from shell-shock. he was for some time in a Belfast academy learning shorthand, &c, and only returned a few weeks ago.
Gordon was buried in the family burying-ground in Ballyalbany, County Monaghan.