More about James Davidson

James Davidson was the husband of Mrs J Davidson of 1 Flight’s Lane, Dundee and was employed as a Joiner before enlisting in September 1914. He was one of the first Dundee men to volunteer to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve onboard HMS Unicorn for service in the Royal Naval Division. After initial Naval Training at the Crystal Palace in South London he was sent to Blandford Camp in Dorset for advanced military training. On completion he joined A Company of the Drake Battalion which sailed for the Middle East in late February 1915. He served during the fighting ashore in Gallipoli from April 1915 until the withdrawal in January 1916 with a period of hospitalisation with Patella Bursitis. He sailed for France in May 1916 and trained to fight on the Western Front. In early September he was hospitalised again this time with Dental Caries. After treatment he transferred to the Army as a Sapper but still attached to the RND as part of the Division’s Royal Engineer detachment. He was killed during the German assault in March 1918 and is buried in the Mailly Wood Cemetery, Mailly Maillet, Northern France, grave reference II H 1. As an Able Seaman RNVR his Service Number was Clyde Z/433.