Private 2672

59th Battalion

Herne Hill, London

James L Russell of 254 Rosendale Rd Herne Hill London

Melbourne on 29/5/1915

Age 21 years 7 months, 5'7", 9 stone, blue eyes and light brown hair

Church of England

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He was missing in action at the battle of Fromelles & declared to have been killed by a court of enquiry

He is remembered on the VC Corner Memorial Fromelles France.

He is believed to have lived in the area


?29/5/15 He enlisted in Melbourne
26/8/15 He embarked Melbourne on HMAT Anchises
31/10/15 He went to Lemnos and joined his unit at Gallipoli
7/1/16 He had been evacuated from Gallipoli disembarked Alexandria
15/3/16 He transferred to the 59th at Tel el Kebir
18/6/16 He joined the British Expeditionary Force and embarked Alexandria
29/6/16 He disembarked Marseilles
19/7/16 He was missing in action at Fromelles
28/8/17 A Court of Enquiry was held into his death
He was buried in no mans land and his body never recovered
He left all his possessions to parents Mr. James Russell and Mrs. Eliza Russell
His will was made in Egypt
His medals, plaque and scroll went to parents
Statement, Red Cross File No 2380704, 2617 Driver J. FOLEY, 6 December 1916: �Another friend of mine, L/Cpl T. Young saw him killed. He was going over the parapet (advancing to the first German line) and fell back. Cpl. Young saw him fall. This was near Fleurbaix. The Germans counterattacked and got as far as our trench where Russell was shot, but they did not get beyond the trench as they were driven back.�