Private 23559, 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment.
Died of illness, 1st May 1916 aged 22.
Buried in Amara War Cemetery, Iraq.
Former student of electrical engineering.
James was born on 26th March 1894 at Petrograd, son of Daniel Cheshire, Vasilli Ostroff, Petrograd. His father was a cotton salesman employed by J J Bramhall (of Faulkner Street, Manchester). James was educated at St Luke’s School, Cheetham Hill, and Salford Technical College before entering Manchester University in 1911, then aged 17, where he gained a Certificate of Technology in Electrical Engineering in 1914.
In January 1915 James enlisted with 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment and served as a signaller. After a short period of training he was sent to Mesopotamia and a few months later a comrade sent information home to the effect that James had died of Cholera in May 1916. The University magazine noted that “his death on the field of warfare is one of many instances of a young life willingly sacrifice for the sake of King and country”.