301st Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps
James Vickery was born at Tidenham, Gloucestershire (near Chepstow) in 1860 and was the son of Richard and Ann Vickery of Tidenham.
He evidently served with the Welsh Regiment as number 1318 which indicated that he joined towards the end of 1885 until he was discharged in 1890, having served his term of engagement.
In February 1900 an appeal went out for ex-soldiers to sign up for Home Defence Duties, to free up regular army troops for the South African War. James signed up for one years’ service with the Royal Reserve Regiment (RRR) on 16 February 1900, at Cardiff, when aged 40.
In his attestation papers for service with the RRR his next of kin was noted to be his son, James, living at 5 Penmaer Road, Chepstow. James (senior) had married Lucy Brown at Tidenham on 14 December 1884.
It is believed the couple had five children and they were: William James,born 1886; Aubrey, born 1890; Dorothy Katharine, born 9 September 1893; George Victor, born 1895 and Lawford John, born 1898). In the year after the last named was born Lucy died, aged 34.
On 7 April 1901 James re-married, at the age of 41. His marriage to Edith Margaret Stead (a 28 year old widow) took place at Tidenham Parish Church.
By the time of the 1911 Census, James and Margaret, plus George Victor and Lawford John Vickery were living at Yew Tree Cottage, Woodcroft, not far from Tidenham. Also living there was Margaret’s daughter, Edith and a son, called Alfred (1908), whom she shared with James. The couple had also had a daughter, Mary Margaret, in 1902, who died the following year. At that time James was working as a quarryman with Bradshaw & Powell Quarries, Chepstow.
No Army Service Record has survived in respect of James and the Great War. However, some details of this are contained in a surviving Pensions Record at the National Archives.
He re-enlisted on 28 July 1915 at Cardiff, stating his age to be 47 (it was in fact about 55). He was categorised as ‘B1’ and his initial posting was to the 2/5th Battalion, Welsh Regiment and almost immediately he was posted to the Supernumerary Territorial Force Company (STFC) and on 29 April 1916 he joined the 332nd Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps (RDC), upon its formation.
The RDC had been formed in March 1916 to carry out duties connected with the local defence of the UK; these included duties performed by the STFC (previously known as Protection Companies of the National Reserve). Protection Companies 301 to 350 came under the auspices of Western Command and it would appear James’ duties were in Monmouthshire.
On 18 June 1918 he was transferred to 301st Protection Company although he was eventually discharged on 28 March 1919. This was medically related as he was diagnosed with a medical condition, which a medical board declared was due to him suffering exposure whilst on guard duties. From October 1919 he was granted a 20% disability pension of eight shillings (40p) per week.
James Vickery’s death on 6 February 1920 aged 60 was due to chronic nephritis according to a recently released Pension Record Card.
He qualified for a CWGC headstone to mark his grave in Tutshill (St Luke) Churchyard.
His widow, Margaret, was still living at Yew Tree Cottage when the CWGC Register was compiled in the early 1920s and she lived until 1947.
Research by Graham Adams 15 August 2018 (revised 10 August 2021)