James Ellis Neale

Birth	1887, Froyle, Hants
Parents	Son of Mrs. Harriet Rix, of Lower Froyle, Hants (who accepted his medals on July 11th 1921)
Residence	Froyle, Hants
Occupation	Farm Carter

Enlisted	East Molesey, Surrey, 12th July 1915
Regiment	1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment
Regimental No:	9783
Rank	Private
Service Record

Death	29th July 1916, killed in action aged 29
Theatre of War	France & Flanders
Commemoration	The Thiepval Memorial, France
Medals	Victory Medal, British War Medal

James Neale was born in Froyle in 1887. He was the son of Mrs Harriet (née Neale) Rix of Lower Froyle. Harriet Neale had been a single woman when James was born and he seems to have lived with his grandparents, George and Emma Neale, in Lower Froyle, where he worked as a farm carter. In his Army service record his father is given as ‘James Ellis Neale. Dead.’ When he enlisted in East Molesey, Surrey, on 12th July 1915, James was described weighing 151lbs, 5ft 8½ inches tall with a 37½ inch chest. Interestingly, rather than his mother, he gave his sister, Florence Gates, as next of kin. Florence and her husband lived in Upper Froyle. James served as 3/9783 Private James Ellis, with the 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment. Posted to Dover on 20th July 1915, he underwent surgery to remove loose cartilage from his knee on 14th September 1915 and eventually joined the Expeditionary Force on 2nd January 1916. James was killed in action in France on 29th July 1916, aged 29. We believe he was killed while taking part in an attack on two enemy posts just NW of the village of Longueval. The regiment’s war diaries tell of the plight of the wounded, many of whom could be heard crying out for water. Not only could they not be reached, but there was no water to give them anyway! James was just one of 320 men from the East Surrey’s who lost their lives in this particular battle - a battle they didn’t even win, being forced to fall back.
Our attack was met with heavy M G fire and the few who got forward so pluckily were unable to push forward or backward from the indifferent cover they reached and finally had to withdraw to their original positions after dusk. Our losses were heavy, from 12 noon on the 27th to 12 noon on the 29th we lost 12 officers and 308 Other Ranks.
James was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, medals which his mother accepted on his behalf on 11th July 1921. Private James Neale is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France, Pier and Face 6B and 6C.