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May 28, 1884
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Born in Caithness,
Scotland to William and Margaret (nee Sutherland) Waters
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Aug 19, 1905
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Embarked the SS
Pretorian in Glasgow, Scotland
The
ship’s manifest lists his occupation as Cycle Builder
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Aug 28, 1905
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Disembarked in
Montreal, Quebec and proceeded to Toronto, Ontario
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Sep 19, 1906
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Married to Janette
Robertson in Toronto, Ontario
His occupation is
noted as Gardiner
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Nov 7, 1914
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Attested into the
21st Battalion CEF in Kingston, Ontario
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Number 60030
(temporary number 934)
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Next of kin given
as Margaret Waters, mother, Barrock St., Caithness, Thurso, Scotland
o
There is a note in
the file to also notify Mrs. J.S. Waters, wife, 56 Alexander St.,
Toronto, Ontario
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Previous
occupation given as Mechanic
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Previous military
experience given as 15th Regiment, Argyll Light
Infantry, Canadian Militia
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Religion given as
Presbyterian
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Posted to
“H” Company
o
This was later
reorganized into “D” Company
The
battalion trained in the Kingston area through the winter with
headquarters in the Kingston Armouries
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Apr 3, 1915
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Fined $5.00 for an
unrecorded offence
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Apr 12, 1915
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Sentenced to 5
days detention for an unrecorded offence
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May 6, 1915
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Embarked the RMS
Metagama in Montreal, Quebec
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May 15, 1915
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Disembarked in
Devonport, England and the battalion proceeded to the West Sandling
Camp, near Hythe, Kent to continue training
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Jul 18, 1915
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Reported to be AWL
(Absent Without Leave)
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Jul 22, 1915
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Reported for duty
and forfeited 4 day’s pay and restricted to half pay for 1
month as punishment for his absence
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Aug 7, 1915
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James Waters
participated in a Cricket match in Folkestone.
The 21st Battalion lost
the match by 63 runs and Waters failed to score a run.
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Aug 14, 1915
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Reported to be AWL
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Aug 29, 1915
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Reported for duty
and sentenced to 16 days detention, forfeited 16 day’s pay
and restricted to half pay for 2 months as punishment for his absence. Posted to the Depot
Company while in detention
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Sep 9, 1915
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Posted to
“C” Company
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Sep 14, 1915
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Embarked the St.
Seiriol in Folkestone
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Sep 15, 1915
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Disembarked in
Boulogne, France and the battalion proceeded to St. Omer
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Oct 26, 1915
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Absent from 2
parades and sentenced to 5 days Field Punishment #2 while the battalion
was in billets in Ridgewood, Belgium
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Jan 7, 1916
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Attached to the 250th
Tunnelling Company for duty
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Jan 8, 1916
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Admitted to the
No. 5 CFA (Canadian Field Ambulance) with a diagnosis that reads
Influenza. He was
transferred the same day to the Divisional Rest Station in
Godewaersvelde, France
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Jan 13, 1916
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Discharged to duty
from the rest station
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Apr 10, 1916
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Attached to the 2nd
Canadian Tunnelling Company for duty
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May 21, 1916
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Reported to be AWL
at 2 pm after being told that he would be going out on a work party
that night
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May 23, 1916
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Arrested and held
in custody to await Court Martial
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Jun 2, 1916
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Found guilty of
being AWL and sentenced to 3 months in Hard Labour and forfeited 3
day’s pay. The
3 month sentence was suspended the same date
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Jun 19, 1916
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Placed under
arrest and charged with
Ø
Breaking arrest
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Forcibly trying to
escape
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Using abusive
language to an NCO
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Jun 20, 1916
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Admitted to the
No. 4 Canadian Field Ambulance with a diagnosis that reads DAH
(Disordered Activity of the Heart)
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Jun 21, 1916
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Transferred to the
No. 3 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) for further treatment
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Jun 27, 1916
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Discharged to duty
from the casualty clearing station and placed in custody again to await
trial
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Jul 3, 1916
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Field General
Courts Martial found him not guilty of the first 2 charges, but guilty
of the 3rd charge of “Using abusive
language to an NCO” and sentenced him to 28 days Field
Punishment #1
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Jul 7, 1916
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Ceased to be
attached to the tunnelling company
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Sep 18, 1916
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Promoted to the
rank of Corporal to replace Cpl DC Stewart
59914, who had been invalided to England
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Oct 28, 1916
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Appointed to the
rank of Lance Sergeant to replace L/Sgt
Hoddinott
59470 who had been promoted
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Nov 26, 1916
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Granted 10 days
leave
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Dec 19, 1916
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Rejoined the
battalion from leave
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Jan 28, 1917
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Promoted to the
rank of Sergeant to replace Sgt Blackburn 59070, who had proceeded to
England
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May 9, 1917
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While the 21st
Battalion was in the front line at the railway embankment east of Vimy
Ridge, the Germans opened up an artillery barrage that killed or
wounded 52 men of the battalion. Sergeant
James Sutherland Waters was one of those killed during this action. His identifiable body was
never recovered from the battlefield and his name is listed on the
Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Vimy Ridge, France for those killed
during the war in France and have no known grave.
Following
the war, the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, Plaque
(Dead Man’s Penny), Scroll and Memorial Cross were sent to
his widow, Mrs. Janet R. Waters, 62 Dupont St., Toronto, Ontario
A
second Memorial Cross was sent to his mother, Mrs. Margaret Waters,
Barrock St., Thurso, Scotland
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James Waters is honoured on the war memorial in
Caithness, Scotland
He is also honoured on the
war memorial in Belleville, Ontario
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