James Ormerod

Second Lieutenant
22nd Bn, Manchester Regiment

James died on Friday 27 September 1918, aged 27. He was the son of Thomas Ormerod of 157 Ribbleton Lane, later of 36 St Stephen’s Avenue, off Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, and was an Assistant Schoolmaster at St Bridget's School, Manchester.

At the time of James' death the 22nd (Service) Battalion (7th City) formed part of 91st Brigade, 7th Division, which had been sent to Italy following the Third Battle of Ypres.

He is buried in Montecchio Precalcino Communal Cemetery Extension in Italy (Grave Ref. Plot 5. Row B. Grave 6).

Montecchio Precalcino is a town in the Province of Vicenza. Between April 1918 and February 1919 those who died from wounds or disease in the 9th, 24th and 39th Casualty Clearing Stations were buried either in the cemetery here or at Dueville. Certain graves were also brought in after the Armistice from other burial grounds in the area.

On the Commonwealth War Graves Debt of Honour Register James is described as "late of Preston, Lancs.".

The Preston Catholic College War Memorial records that James "trained as a teacher at St Mary’s Hammersmith London and taught in Manchester. Joined up on 1 September 1914 as part of the Manchester City Employees Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. Fought at the Battle of the Somme and was wounded on 30 July 1916, and was back with the regiment within a month. He was commissioned as an officer with the Manchesters and was involved in the heavy fighting at the Battle of Passchendaele in August 1917. He was then transferred to the Italian Front and was spent time in the cold conditions of the Alps. On his return to the plains he contracted double pneumonia and died unexpectedly five days after receiving the Sacrament of the Sick."

The details noted by the Preston Catholic College War Memorial were obtained from the The Preston Roll of Honour Record in the Harris Museum at Preston, The Preston Catholic College Magazine, 1916 - 1921, 1926 and 1927 (then called "Sons of the Eagle"), and the Commonwealth War Graves Commisssion Debt of Honour Register.

The Soldiers Died in the Great War Database records James as James Omerod. The Database notes that he was attached to the 22nd Bn, Manchester Regiment, as a Temporary Second Lieutenant, when he died on 27 September 1918.

James' grave in Montecchio Precalcino Communal Cemetery Extension