James Paterson’s parents James Paterson (Snr.) and Jessie Pringle, were married in Aberdour, Fife, in 1886. They were living at the Schoolhouse, Almondbank, Methven, Perthshire, in 1891 and James was born there in that year.

James married Jessie Adams in Islington in 1913, and she applied for his medals on the 5th February 1923 when living at 45, George Square, Edinburgh.

James Paterson enlisted with the Scots Guards as a Private (Reg. No. 15662), and was subsequently promoted to Lance Corporal. He was on the list of Cadets who were to be promoted from Officer Cadet Units to 2nd Lts., which was published in the Supplement to the London Gazette, dated the 16th of August 1917.

He first entered a Theatre of War, in France, on the 19th of September 1918.

James's Military Cross Citation was reported in the Supplement to the London Gazette on the 11th of January, 1919. It read:

“T./2nd Lt. James Paterson, S. Gds. (Spec. Res.) attd. 2nd. Bn.

"He commanded his company in an attack with great courage and skill during heavy fighting. Originally in support, he was sent to make good the situation against a very stubborn resistance. He gradually worked forward, secured the flank of the attack, occupied important ground, and on the second day of the battle resisted and beat back a determined counter-attack."

In the Obituary Column of The Times on Thursday March the 27th 1919, it was reported that:

“PATERSON - On the 25th March, at 30 Sussex Road, Harrow, of Broncho-pneumonia, CAPTAIN James Paterson, M.C., Scots Guards, beloved husband of Jessie Adams.”

At the time of his death James Paterson was 28 years old.

James and Jessie's son, James Ian Paterson (born Harrow 1917) was educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh. He was killed during the Second World War on the 7th of November 1941 whilst serving as a Second Officer in the Merchant Navy onboard M.V. Nottingham (London). James Ian Paterson is commemorated on the Tower Hill Merchant Navy Memorial.

James Paterson's widow Jessie never re-married; she died in Edinburgh on the 9th of March 1971 at number 1, Glenlockhart Road. Her usual residence was number 3, Maurice Place, Edinburgh.

James Paterson is also commemorated on the Perth North Church War Memorial.

Perth Academy "Flowers of the Forest" Project:

Between the 11th of March 2014 and the 25th of March 2019, the 'Flowers of the Forest' team at the school held remembrance ceremonies at the school memorial, as close as possible to the centenary of the death of 168 former pupils and staff who lost their lives in the Great War.

As the school researched these names a number of relatives of our fallen contacted the school and attended our ceremonies.

James Paterson died at home in 1919 as a result of his war service and he was buried in Highgate Ceremony - he was the last of our "Flowers of the Forest."

To complete our project a number of people who had been a part of our work attended our final ceremony to remember James. We were delighted when Alison and Alex Glennie offered to visit James' final resting place in Highgate Cemetery and leave a poppy corsage and photo on behalf of the school. In this way James was remembered in Perth and Highgate at the same time on the centenary of his death - a fitting, and moving conclusion to our four year project.