Second Lieutenant James Samuel Emerson

Regiment: Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Panel reference: Panel 5 and 6.
Date published: 22/03/1918
Killed in action: Yes
Date of death: 06/12/1917
Age at death: 22
Cemetery: Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Nord, France
Information: Second Lieutenant James Samuel Emerson, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who has been awarded the Victoria Cross, was killed in action on December 6th, 1917, after leading his men for twenty-four hours against a counter-attack, though severely wounded. He was 22, and was a son of the late Mr. John Emerson and Mrs. Emerson, Sevenoaks, Collon, Drogheda. He was educated at Mountjoy School, Dublin, and joined the Royal Irish Rifles on the outbreak of war. He was wounded in action at Hooge, and on recovery went to France for the second time in July, 1916, and was subsequently gazetted to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was awarded the V.C. for repeated acts of most conspicuous bravery. He led his company in an attack and cleared 400 yards of trench. Though wounded, when the enemy attacked in superior numbers he sprang out of the trench with eight men and met the attack in the open, killing many and taking six prisoners. For three hours after this, he remained with his company, though wounded, and repeatedly repelled bombing attacks. When the enemy again attacked in superior numbers, he led his men to repel the attack, and was mortally wounded. His heroism, when worn out and exhausted from loss of blood, inspired his men to hold out, though almost surrounded, till reinforcements arrived and dislodged the enemy.