In Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 9016 Private James Copeland Elliott serving with 75th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps who died 03/11/1918.
The son of John Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Elliott, of 2, North Bailey, Durham and the husband of Mary Elliott, of 7, Grange Avenue, Auckland Park, Bishop Auckland.
Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-
James Copeland Elliott was born in Witton le Wear in the third quarter of 1888. His parents were John Thomas Elliott, born in West Auckland, who worked as a miner and later as a foreman at Bitchburn Pipe Works, and who in his spare time was the organist at Witton le Wear Parish Church, and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Swan) from Fence Houses, who had married in Fir Tree in November 1880. James had two older brothers, Wilfred born in 1880 and Robert born in 1885, and five sisters, Eveline, Olive, May, Gladys and Margaret, two other siblings had died in infancy.
By 1901 the family were living in the High Street, Howden le Wear and James and his younger siblings were at school. Ten years later James was working as a hewer at the local pit and still living at home in Howden with his parents and two sisters. Two years later in October 1913 he married Mary Wynn in Bishop Auckland.
During the war, John and Mary ran the Neville’s Cross Hotel in Durham, but afterwards moved to a house in the North Bailey, Durham.
It is not known when James enlisted but on 27 August 1914, just weeks after the war had started, 9016 Private James Copeland Elliott left home in Bishop Auckland and sailed for France with the Royal Army Medical Corps.
In late 1918, James was serving with the 75th Field Ambulance of the 25th Division. During October, gas shells and the worsening flu epidemic caused many casualties in the Division. One of these casualties was James Elliott, who died on 3 November 1918 of gas poisoning in a Casualty Clearing Station at Busigny and was buried nearby. News of his death reached his parents in Durham on Armistice Day.
James’ two brothers, Wilfred Elliott and Robert Henry Elliott also died in WW1..
Acknowledgements: Douglas McMurtrie
James Copeland Elliott is remembered at Durham City on D47.029 and at Hunwick on H133.01 and H133.02
