James Ernest Robert Rayner

A Second Lieutenant with C Battery, 91 Brigade, James died on 10th of May 1918 at the age of 22. 

James was born at Tottenham, London, on 23 April 1896, a son of James Elijah and Annie Louisa Rayner. James’ father died just a few weeks after James was born. In 1901 James and his sister were boarders with a trained sick nurse at 57 New Southwater Road, Hastings, and his mother worked as a cook at Streatham, London. In 1911 James was a boarder living at 117 Osborne Road, Acton, and he worked as a clothier-shop assistant: at this time his mother was working as a cook and living at North End, Yarmouth Road, Lowestoft. In late 1911 his mother married Jonathan Hitcham and they lived at 36 Crown Street.  

James volunteered and enlisted in the Army. He joined the 12th Lancers, service number L/5614, and was posted to France on 7 October 1915. In 1917 James joined an Officer Cadet Unit and on 21 July 1917 he took up a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery (Special Reserve) and was posted to the 6th (Reserve) Regiment. James was then posted to France, as a Temporary Lieutenant, and was posted to C Battery 91 Brigade. In April 1918 91 Brigade were in positions in the vicinity of Villers-Bretonneux. 

Early in the morning of 24 April 91 Brigade’s positions were subjected to heavy enemy shelling, including high explosive and gas. The batteries were able to maintain steady fire, but had to wear gas masks for much of the time. All telephone communication was cut early in the barrage and runners had to be used to convey messages. By 9 a.m. the Germans had captured Villers-Bretonneux. At 6.30 p.m. the batteries had to take up new positions so that they could provide support for a planned counter-attack. The Brigade war diary records that the fighting on 24 April was the most severe and it was the hardest and most tiring fighting they had experienced. James was wounded on 24 April. He was evacuated to one of the Casualty Clearing Stations at Vignacourt where he died of wounds.   

James was awarded the Military Cross. In 1918 this medal could not be awarded posthumously, but the circumstances of the award may be connected to the events of 24 April 1918. The citation for his award was published in the London Gazette, 16 September 1918, as reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. His gallantry and confidence inspired the men of his battery, which was in action in a most exposed position. He afterwards relieved another officer as forward observation officer in a very exposed position.