James Morris – Glamorgan Yeomanry, attached Welsh Regiment, 24th (Pembroke and Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion, Territorial Force

 Lieutenant James Morris – Glamorgan Yeomanry, attached Welsh Regiment, 24^th (Pembroke and Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion, Territorial Force

Birth and Family Background

James Morris was born in 1892 in Swansea, the son of David John Morris and Ann (Annie) Morris.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census is the only known census record in which James appears. At that time, the Morris family were residing at Birchgrove, Swansea. David J. Morris (48), born in Pembrokeshire, was employed as a stone quarryman, and his wife Annie (46) managed the household. Their children were David (13), a butcher’s apprentice; Edward (11); Annie (9); James (7); and Ewart G. (4). The census reflects a working household, with the eldest child already contributing to the family income.

Military Service

James served with the Glamorgan Yeomanry, a Territorial Force unit raised in South Wales. During the First World War, he was attached to the Welsh Regiment, serving with the 24^th (Pembroke and Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion, Territorial Force. This battalion was formed from dismounted yeomanry units and operated as infantry in the Palestine campaign as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.

James was commissioned as a Lieutenant, placing him in a leadership role during active operations in difficult terrain and demanding conditions.

Welsh Regiment, 24^th Battalion — 27^th December 1917

On 27^th December 1917, the 24^th (Pembroke and Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battalion was serving in Palestine, following the capture of Jerusalem earlier that month on 9 December 1917. Despite this major success, fighting in the surrounding hills and approaches to the city remained intense, as Ottoman forces attempted to counter-attack and disrupt British consolidation.

During this period, the battalion was engaged in holding newly captured positions, conducting patrols, and repelling enemy counter-attacks. Operations took place in steep, rocky terrain with narrow tracks and limited cover, exposing troops to rifle fire, machine-gun fire, and artillery shelling. Converted from cavalry to infantry, the battalion operated entirely as dismounted troops, facing harsh winter conditions including cold nights, rain, and physical exhaustion.

Casualties were frequently sustained during local engagements, sniping incidents, and shellfire, rather than during large-scale assaults. It was during this demanding phase of operations, on 27^th December 1917, that James Morris was killed in action, illustrating the continued dangers faced by Welsh Territorial units even after major objectives had been secured.

Death and Burial

Lieutenant James Morris is buried at Jerusalem War Cemetery, Israel and Palestine, where many soldiers of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force who fell during the Palestine campaign are laid to rest.

His death reflects the sacrifice of Welsh Territorial soldiers who served far from home, enduring harsh conditions and persistent enemy action during the final stages of the campaign that secured Jerusalem and its approaches