Remembering World War I Yarmouth Connections

Name: James Henry Giles Regiment: 219 Battalion/13th Battalion Regimental Number: 282306 Rank: Lance Corporal - 219th Battalion Private - 13th Battalion Date of Birth: January 30, 1892 Place of Birth: Yarmouth, Yarmouth County, NS Date of Enlistment: March 13, 1916 Place of Enlistment: Halifax, Nova Scotia Address at Enlistment: 6 Campbell Rd., Halifax, NS Age at enlistment: 24 Height: 5 Feet 7 Inches Marital Status: Married Trade: Labourer Religion: Roman Catholic Next of Kin: Ettie Giles (Wife) 6 Campbell Rd., Halifax, NS Date of Death: April 10, 1917 Age at Death: 25 Cause of Death: Killed in Action (Vimy Ridge) Cemetery: Lapugnoy Military Cemetery, France Grave Reference: II. G. 17. Commemorated on Page 243 of the First World War Book of Remembrance This page is displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on May 30 Listed on the Nominal Roll of the 219th Battalion James was the son of Matthew Giles (1862-1935) and Mary Ann (McLellan) Giles (1866-1943) of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and the brother of Ethel Mae (Giles) Cook (1886-1968), Frank George Giles (1890-1969), Margaret Bird Giles (1891-1943), Matthew Giles (1896-1916), Florence (Giles) Deveau (1896-1952), Thomas Giles (1897-1918), Grace Eleanor (Giles) Fry (1899-1928), Clayton Giles (1900- 1910), Hylda Giles (1904-1954), and Mildred Mary (Giles) Leblanc (b. 1907). James was married to Winnifred (Murphy) Giles (1892-1969) with two children and living in Halifax when he enlisted in March 1916. Their children were Frank Edward Giles (1914-1947) and Shirley Cavell (Giles) Battles (1915-2003). James was one of four brothers who served. Thomas Giles was killed near Buissy, Pas-de-Calais, France on September 10, 1918. Matthew Giles was killed at the Somme October 1, 1916, and a third brother, Frank George Giles (1888-1969), the only surviving brother was invalided home after the war and died at the Camp Hill hospital in 1969. James was killed in action at Vimy Ridge serving with the 13th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in France. He died at the No. 23 Casualty Clearing Station which was at Lozinghem, France on April 10, 1917, from gunshot wounds received in action to his thigh and chest on the first day of the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. He is interred at the Lapugnoy Military Cemetery in France. Both his wife Winnie Giles, and his brother Frank, placed an In Memoriam announcement in the Halifax Evening Mail on the 4th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1921.