James Corfield

James Thomas Corfield was born at Weston in the parish of Monkhopton and was baptised at Monkhopton Parish Church on 29th March, 1896. He was the son of Richard Corfield, labourer, and his wife Charlotte. By 1901, the family lived at Field House, Stanton Long.

In 1911, James was working as a farm labourer at Bush Farm, Shipton.

James volunteered early in the war. He served with the 6th Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry, going to France with his battalion in July 1915. He was killed in action on 12th February, 1916 when:

On the 12th February at 2 a.m., whilst holding the canal bank, the battalion came under very heavy enfilade fire from enemy artillery. A large Nissen hut in the canal bank collapsed under several 5.9 shells, killing [4 officers, a Sgt.-Major] with 19 other ranks killed in other parts of the sector and 46 wounded. Many men were buried under the debris and only rescued after many hours of digging. [Wood pp. 173-4.]

Private James Corfield, 12456 KSLI, is buried in Artillery Wood Cemetery, Belgium. He was awarded the Victory and British Medals and the 1915 Star.

Private Corfield's brother George was also killed during the war.