James Edward Tait (27 May 1888 – 11 August 1918), was a Scottish/

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to

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and Commonwealth forces.

Background

Tait was born on 27 May 1888 in

Maxwelltown Maxwelltown ( gd, Ceann Drochaid, IPA: �kʰʲaun̴̪ˈt̪ɾɔxətʲ was formerly a burgh of barony and police burgh and by the time of the burgh's abolition in 1929 it was the most populous burgh in the county of Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. ...

(Dumfries), Scotland to James Bryden Tait and Mary Johnstone. He married Jessie Spiers Aitken from California.Tait, James Edward
Commonwealth War Graves Commission He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in February 1916.

World War I

Tait was 30 years old, and a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in the 78th (Winnipeg Grenadiers) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He died in action on 11 August 1918 in

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. He was awarded the VC for his actions that day.

VC citation

Lieutenant James Edward Tait was also awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The citation for this award is as follows: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Early in an assault he was wounded, and all the other officers killed or wounded, but he led his company with great fearlessness and determination through intense fire to the objective, and, although unable to walk, supervised its consolidation, finally crawling back alone, to leave for others the four bearers." Due to his previous work with the Hudson Bay Railway survey, a siding south of Lynn Lake, Manitoba was named Jetait in his honour. Lieutenant Tait also has an island named after him in the Winnipeg River, Manitoba between the Pinawa Marina and the Pinawa Sailing Club. Tait is buried at Fouquescourt British Cemetery which is located 16 miles south of Albert, France (special memorial, grave 8). His Victoria Cross is displayed at the

Glenbow Museum The Glenbow Museum is an art and history regional museum in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The museum focuses on Western Canadian history and culture, including Indigenous perspectives. The Glenbow was established as a private non-profi ...

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

, Canada.

References

External links

James Eward Tait's digitized service file

James Edward Tait
''(service/personal details, photograph, citation, relevant documents, burial information)''
Legion Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tait, James Edward 1886 births 1918 deaths Canadian World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Canadian military personnel killed in World War I Scottish emigrants to Canada Canadian Expeditionary Force officers Military personnel from Dumfries and Galloway People from Dumfries Canadian recipients of the Military Cross British Yeomanry soldiers Winnipeg Grenadiers Winnipeg Grenadiers officers

Background

World War I

VC citation

References

Further reading

External links