Royal Scots 1st Battalion, Service no. 301177
Son of James Mosby and Ann Elizabeth Bellerby of Leeds Road, Kippax
Died 10th April 1918, aged 22
Story
Private Mosby was originally a screener at the pit head. His sister Annie was married to Edward Hazelgrave Bickerdike, who was also a soldier in the War. He enlisted on the 11th December 1915, and was 5 ft 8”. On 23rd March 1916, the Army received a letter from James’ parents requesting that he only do support work. The army considered this a ploy to get relegated to less dangerous service, but agreed to carry out a medical assessment, which found that James had a hernia. The army offered to operate, but James refused, so the case was referred. On 31st March 1916 he received 3 days punishment for not paying attention whilst in ranks. James died at the 27th casualty clearing centre in Macedonia, whilst his battalion were fighting on the Struma front. He caught flu and died of pleurisy. He is listed on a family gravestone in St Mary’s churchyard in Kippax as having died in Salonica. His parents received £11 16s 2d from the army following their son’s death. James is buried in Lahana Military Cemetery in Greece (ref III A20):
The cemetery was set up in July 1916 for burials from the 27th Casualty Clearing Station, to which sick and wounded men were brought from the Struma front. The cemetery was also used from June to August 1917 by the 18th Stationary Hospital. After the Armistice, 41 of the graves in Plots II and III were brought in from the two front line cemeteries at Paprat and from other small burial grounds. The cemetery now contains 279 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. There are also 16 Bulgarian and four Greek war graves.
Kippax Roll of Honour 