Angus, James
Private
No. 75229, 29th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment)
Killed in action on Monday 11 September 1916 (aged 29)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Vimy Memorial, France
Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM)
Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance
Donaghadee and District War Memorial
Bangor and District War Memorial
Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque
Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum
Shore Street Presbyterian Church Donaghadee
Trinity Presbyterian Church Bangor
Angus family grave headstone in Bangor Cemetery, Newtownards Road
Brother of Rifleman John Blair Angus (No. 17155)
Brother of Lance Corporal Robert Angus (No. 20885)
BIOGRAPHY
James Angus was born on 16 July 1887 in the townland of Cottown, Donaghadee. At attestation he declared his date of birth to be 16 July 1889.
James Angus was the eldest son of Alexander and Mary Angus (nee Murphy) who were married on 26 February 1885 in Shore Street Presbyterian Church Donaghadee. Alexander Angus from Cottown was a son of Robert Angus, a labourer. Mary Murphy, a servant from Cottown was a daughter of William Murphy, a labourer.
James Angus lived in the townland of Cottown, Donaghadee with his parents and his grandparents, Robert and Ellen Angus, and, after the outbreak of the First World War, the Angus family moved to 20 Albert Street, Bangor.
Alexander Angus worked as an agricultural labourer and he and Mary had nine children, eight of whom were baptised in Shore Street Presbyterian Church Donaghadee:
Mary Ellen (born 18 November 1885 in Cottown)
James (born 16 July 1887 in Cottown)
Agnes Campbell (born 28 July 1889 in Cottown)
Rose (born 22 February 1892 in Cottown)
Robert (born 6 September 1893 in Cottown)
John Blair (born 10 July 1896 in Cottown)
Emily (born 10 August 1900 in Cottown)
Jane Neill Campbell (born 9 August 1903 in Cottown)
Sarah Ann (born 15 May 1905 in Cottown)
James Angus moved to Canada and he enlisted in Vancouver on 9 November 1914. He cited his mother Mary as his next-of-kin and it was noted in his attestation papers that he was 5 feet 6 inches tall with a dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He served with the British Columbia Regiment of the Canadian Infantry and he was 29 when he was killed in action on 11 September 1916.
James Angus was the third of the three Angus brothers to be killed in action although his was the second of the three deaths to be confirmed.
Robert Angus was the second of the three Angus brothers to be killed in action although his was the first of the three deaths to be confirmed.
Blair Angus was the first of the three Angus brothers to be killed in action although his was the last of the three deaths to be confirmed.
The three brothers died within a three-month period and their mother Mary died of pneumonia at 20 Albert Street, Bangor on 31 March 1920 (aged 56).
Private James Angus (No. 75229) has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Vimy Memorial in France; on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM); in the Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance on; Donaghadee and District War Memorial; on Bangor and District War Memorial; on the Royal British Legion (Bangor Branch) Memorial Plaque; in the Comrades of the Great War (Bangor Branch) Album in North Down Museum; in Shore Street Presbyterian Church Donaghadee; in Trinity Presbyterian Church Bangor and on the Angus family grave headstone in Bangor Cemetery, Newtownards Road.