Lance Corporal James Logan
James Logan was born on 23 October 1882 at Whiteabbey, Belfast, the second of five children of coachman (later car-owner) Robert Logan and his wife Hester (née McVicker). His father also had a number of children by a previous marriage. By the time of the 1911 Census James was living at Jordanstown, Whiteabbey, with his parents, three surviving siblings and an adopted child of his parents, and working as a postman.
Logan enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Antrim on 15 March 1916 (No.2130), understating his age by three years. At the end of December 1916 he was one of forty North Irish Horsemen who volunteered to transfer to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The formal transfer took place on 9 January 1917, and on the same day they embarked for France, where they were posted to the 10th Battalion, joining it at Ploegsteert Wood on the Ypres front on 16 January. Logan was issued regimental number 40650.
On 27 June 1917 the 10th Battalion was in the line in the Spanbroek sector of the Ypres front. The battalion diary reported:
Enemy [shelling] still active. ... 3 O.R.s. wounded by shrapnel.
Logan was one of the wounded, with a severe shrapnel puncture in his chest, and another wound to the right thigh. Evacuated to No.53 Casualty Clearing Station, it was only ten days later that he could be moved to the 5th British Red Cross Hospital at Wimereux. On 25 July he was evacuated to the UK, where he was admitted to the Epsom War Hospital.
Logan recovered, but slowly, and on 26 May 1918 he was transferred to the Labour Corps (No.590914). A month later he was transferred to the Royal Defence Corps (No.80872). He was promoted to lance corporal on 23 January 1919.
On 10 May 1919 Logan was transferred to the Cheshire Regiment (No.81406), returning to France twelve days later, where he was posted to No.97 then No.394 Prisoner of War Company. He returned to England on 18 September and a month later was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.