James William Pugh was born in Oakham on 28th October 1894 and was the eldest of six children – his parents wereThomas, an ironworks labourer and Catherine. Three children died before the family came to live at 8 Church Court, Stamford in 1900. Father worked at Blackstones Engineering Works and on leaving school James William became an apprentice moulder there. By the outbreak of war the family had moved to 94 Burghley Houses, Ryhall Road, probably to be closer to their work at Blackstone’s.

James William joined the Lincolnshire Reservists in 1910, was mobilised in the 4th Lincolnshire Battalion in 1915 and sent to France as Lance-Corporal 201526. That year he was treated by the military for a left hernia and three months later complained of a similar hernia on the right side. ‘This man states that while drumming on the march he felt a pain in the groin and later a swelling.’ Diagnosed with a right hernia ‘supportable by truss’ he was sent home.

Examined in Skegness on 29th January 1919 his disability was assessed at less than 20% and he was granted a provisional pension of 5s 6d per week for one year from 16th March 1919 to 24th April 1920. Discharged on 15th March 1919, he came back to work at Blackstones in Stamford where he died in 1978 aged 84.