Police Constable James Blair
James Blair, Police Constable #168 of No. 8 Police Station (in the Pape Ave and Queen St E area), lived with his wife Rebecca at 28 Kintyre Avenue.
Constable Blair was a former British soldier who had recently immigrated from Ireland. Still a reservist when war broke out, he was recalled to Londonderry, Ireland rejoining his unit - The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers – and proceeded to France. In Belgium with the British Expeditionary Force in December 1914, Blair was wounded in the thigh, while at home his wife gave birth to their son. Blair was sent back to Ireland to recover, and was employed training recruits until he returned to the trenches in 1916. On Saturday, November 18th 1916, during the Battle of the Ancre, Blair was killed by a "big shell".
His remains never found, Constable James Blair is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.
| Name: | James Blair |
|---|---|
| Badge: | 168 |
| Rank: | Police Constable |
| Date of Birth: | N/A |
| Age: | 28 |
| Length of Service: | 2 Years |
| Date of Death: | Nov. 18, 1916 |