WW1 Memorial Plaque & Pair to Johnson 1/7th Black Watch.

A WW1 memorial plaque named to James Johnson and British war and victory medal pair correctly named to 6683 Private James Johnson 1/7th battalion Royal (Black Watch) Highlanders.
James Alexander Johnson was born in Cardross Dumbartonshire 1889. James lost his mother at an early age and was brought up by his father and six elder siblings. He may have been enlisted as a Territorial before the war with the 1/7th Fife Battalion Black Watch or enlisted at the start of hostilities in 1914. In my opinion he was a wartime enlistment as Dumbarton is some way from Fife and the 7th Battalion, The Black Watch was a Territorial unit based at St Andrews under command of the Black Watch Brigade. When war broke out in August 1914, those already serving were mobilized and moved to Queensferry to man the Forth Defences. In November 1914 they moved to the Tay Defences. On the 16th of April 1915 they moved to Bedford to join 2nd Highland Brigade in Highland Division and prepare for deployment overseas. They proceeded to France, landing at Boulogne on the 2nd of May 1915. On the 12th of May the formation was renamed 153rd Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division and concentrated around Lillers, Busnes and Robecq. They were rushed to the defence of Ypres when the enemy attacked using poison gas on the 22nd of April 1915 and were in action until the 19th of May when they moved to Estaires on the River Lys. They were in action in the the Battle of Festubert and the Second Action of Givenchy before moving south to the Somme taking over the line near Hamel. In 1916 they were in action in the Battles of the Somme, including the attacks on High Wood and The Battle of the Ancre, capturing Beaumont Hamel, taking more than 2000 prisoners. In 1917 They took part in the Arras Offensive near Roeux.
Roeux was built over a system of caves which helped to make its capture in 1917 exceptionally difficult. In a continuation of the battle of Arras at 04.45 hours on 23rd April the Division took part in the attack on Roeux and the chemical works between Fampoux and Plouvain. Initial success was met by determined counter attacks in what has been described as “the most savage infantry battle that the Division took part in.” Both sides fought almost to a standstill and on the night of 24th-25th April the Division was relieved by the 34th Division.
James was killed or died of his wounds on the 23rd of April 1917. He is now remembered with honour at the Brown’s Copse Cemetery, Roeux, he was 27 years old.
The medal pair and plaque are in excellent condition, the pair of medals comes in a named and addressed box of issue and his medal pair was probably not issued to his family until the 1930’s.
This lot comes with various copied paperwork including medal index card, medal roll, commonwealth war graves certificate etc.

Code: 29995