246599 Pte. James William Mendham British Army 10th Battalion, 1 Coy. Manchester Regiment Efforts to access either a service record or pension record for James Mendham were unsuccessful, these were likely destroyed during the Second World War.
According to his Medal Rolls Index Card, Service Medal and Award Roll Private Mendham served with the 1st Coy., 10th (Oldham) Battalion of the Territorial Force. Since he did not qualify for the 1914-15 Star, it is likely that He first served overseas with the 1/10th in Egypt in either 1916 or early 1917, on 6th of March1917, the 1/10th entered the French theatre at Marseille and was assigned to the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division and was engaged in the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), executed a fighting withdrawal during Germany's March 1918 Michael Offensive and then returned to the offensive in August 1918. The 1/10th took Hautmont, France on 6th of November 1918 after fierce hand-to-hand fighting and some improved bridge building, where it remained until the Armistice took effect.
One curiosity noted on his Service Medal and Award Roll is that he was listed as attached R.E. my assumption is that although he was an infantryman, based upon skills, he was locally transferred to an assigned R.E. unit. For his service in the Great War, Private James Mendham was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
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