Pte. James Kelly
British Army 6th Battalion, D Coy. 17 Platoon Gordon Highlanders
from:Wigan
James Kelly (Grandfather) joined the 6th Battalion Gordon Highlanders in 1943 after working as a toolmaker in Wigan. James, after initial training, was sent to North Africa with the 6th Battalion and spent most of his time in North Africa guarding Italian and German prisoners. James met his two brothers by accident in Souse Tunisia, Bill who was serving with the RAF and Mick in the Royal Corp of Logistics, an unexpected meeting in a foreign land.
Jim was sent to Italy and again spent time guarding German and Italian prisoners. Little is known of his time in Italy other than he spent weeks in the backs of trucks and developed blood clot in his leg from lack of movement and activity!
In 1945 he was sent with the Battalion to Palestine. The family story told to us was that on guard duty one day a Jewish or Palestinian sniper lay in wait near the guard post where James was on duty in the dark. One of James's platoon was with him when his partner lit a cigarette. James told me that there was a loud crack and his partner was hit however he said he saw where the flash came from and said he directed fire from other positions onto this position. In the morning there was a significant blood trail but no body and he assumes someone must have dragged the body away in the night!
James always said his time in Africa and Italy were easy compared to the time he spent in Palestine. James remained a private throughout the war as he was illiterate until his return to his wife Elsie who taught him to read and write! James retuned to his pre war job as toolmaker until his retirement and passed away in 1988 in Standish, Wigan.
