James McLagan was born in Perth on 8th February 1876 and he was educated at Sharp’s Institution and Perth Academy.

In 1891, the McLagan family were living at Sunny Bower, Kinnoull, Perth: Father, William (Grocer and Seed Merchant), b. c1840, Aberfeldy, Perthshire; Mother, Jane, b. c1840, Perth; Son, William (Grocer and Seed Merchant Assistant), b. c1869, Perth; Son, John (Bankers Clerk), b. c1870, Perth: Daughter, Lizzie, b. c1874, Perth; Son, James, b. 1876, Perth; and Daughter, Jane, b. c1880, Perth. Also living at this address was Catherine McLaren (General Servant Domestic), b. c1872, Aberdalgie, Perthshire.

He volunteered for active service, and enlisted in the Black Watch on 25th March 1916. James served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the following September and was subsequently invalided home.

On recovery he proceeded with his battalion to Egypt in February 1917, and took part in the Palestine Campaign, being slightly wounded near Joppa.

James returned to France in May 1918, and was killed in action near Peronne.

The 14th Battalion was formed in Moascar in Egypt on the 21st December 1916, from the dismounted troops of the Fife & Forfar Yeomanry, and came under the command of 229th Brigade in 74th (Yeomanry) Division. After service in Egypt and Palestine they landed at Marseilles on the 7th May 1918.

Extract from “The History of the Fife & Forfar Yeomanry", by Major D.D. Ogilvie.

“On 31st August the B Team moved to the Divisional Reception Camp at Franvillers, and about midday we got sudden orders to proceed to near Franvillers where buses would be awaiting us. We went by bus to a farm a couple of miles west of Maricourt, dumped our packs there and reached our destination Le Foret about midnight, where to our joy we were run to earth by the transport with rations and ammunition."

“Next day, 1st September, was spent in reconnaissance towards Bouchavesnes, out of which the Bosche had been pushed that morning...Zero hour was 5.30 a.m.at which time it was barely light and rather misty. The first objective was the system of trenches on the far side of the Canal du Nord. After the preliminary bombardment and following the creeping barrage the Brigade moved forward - the Somersets leading on the right with ourselves following. The Devons were to mop up the village of Moislans...The battalion of Londoners on our left north of Moislains had withdrawn, the village of Moislains itself was never mopped up and the eight Bosche machine-guns holding Moislains seeing this moved quickly to the south of the village and opened on our backs. To advance unsupported was out of the question, and our casualties were by now very heavy."

“Our casualties had been heavy - the C.O. wounded; of the four Company Commanders, two had been killed and two wounded. A total of 3 officers and 38 other ranks killed and 14 officers and 157 other ranks wounded.”

James McLagan would have been one of these casualties. He was 42 years of age. 

Perthshire Advertiser, 12th October 1918

“OUR OWN MEN - PERTH CITY"

“Pte. James McLagan, Black Watch, son of the late Mr William McLagan, Maxwelton, Kinnoul, Perth, was killed in action on the 2nd inst.”