James Talent

On the Dore village War Memorial, James Talent's name is spelled 'Tallent'. He was born in 1895 to Walter Joseph and Maud Talent, who in the 1911 Census are recorded as living at Thompson Road, near the Botanical Gardens. Walter was a nut and bolt manufacturer and young James was then still at school. They were a large family with seven of nine children surviving, and James had three brothers and three sisters.

He enlisted as a Private in the 8th Service Battalion of the Yorks and Lancs Regiment. The Service Battalions were a new development from Lord Kitchener to create units specifically to support the infantry.

James was killed in action on one of the most horrendous days in all the Great War - 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The following is an extract from a war diary for that day:

"Plans had long been in place for the great offensive along the line of the River Somme to draw the Germans away from Verdun to the east, and so relieve the beleaguered French forces there. Despite what many people have been told about the Somme battle, it was never intended to be a war-winning campaign. It had clearly defined strategic aims and in many respects was successful. It has however become a by-word for failure and incompetence on both sides. A German field officer referred to the Somme as 'the muddy grave of the German Field Army'.

"After the artillery barrage lifted, the battalions began their assault near the village of Orvillers at 7.30am. Immediately after leaving their trenches the battalion came under heavy machine gun fire and most of the men were killed or wounded. The remainder carried on and took the enemy front line trenches and about 70 men eventually reached as far as the third line of German trenches, but only one man returned from there. What was left of the battalion remained fighting in the first line of trenches until overwhelmed. Such was the ferocity of fighting that the Germans were forced to move in extra troops to face the 70th Brigade and this enabled other British troops to make significant advances.

"The 8th Yorks and Lancs Regiment took 680 men and 23 officers over the parapet; all the officers were either killed or wounded and of the Battalion, only 68 returned. The Battalion had effectively ceased to exist as a fighting unit and was withdrawn that evening."

James is buried at Adanac Military Cemetery.