Background
James Murray McAdam was born November 25, 1894 in Fredericton, New Brunswick to James A. McAdam and Annie Murray. While few reports detail his parent's early life together, according to census records, James had a large family including eight siblings named Alex, Walter, Kenneth, Wallace, Kathleen, Archie, Daisy, and Donald. By all accounts, the McAdam family was very well known in Fredericton as James' father was the local undertaker and owner of a funeral home business. For most of their lives, the family lived at 522 George Street, a heritage home that still stands today across from the old loyalist burial ground. Newspapers illustrate that James was one of the city's best known young men and a fine athlete, "prominent in football, baseball, hockey, and basketball, and his genuine qualities were generally appreciated by his friends and acquaintances". In addition to being active in athletics, cadets, and with his local church, James eventually found work as a clerk with the Bank of Nova Scotia in the city. When war broke out in 1914, he immediately resigned his position at the local branch when his employer would not grant him leave to serve with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. At the time of his formal enlistment in Fredericton, December 4, 1914, with the 23rd Battery James was described as being single and twenty years of age. According to his attestation, he had brown eyes, brown hair, and a blonde complexion, while standing approximately five feet nine inches tall. He would not be the only McAdam brother to enlist as newspapers revealed his brothers, Walter and Alex, would serve as well. James spent the next three months training in Canada before preparing to go overseas during the winter of 1914-1915. While it is unclear if he ever saw his brothers while fighting overseas, records suggest that he never returned to Fredericton.
Wartime Experience
On February 23, 1915, Private James Murray McAdam left Canada for England with the 23rd Battery, 6th Brigade, arriving approximately a week later. Shortly after, he made his way to Shorncliffe, England where medical records show that he was admitted to St. Andrews Hospital March 23, 1915 to remove swollen glands in his throat. Records reveal that he spent almost two months in hospital during his recovery before joining a draft in late May going to France. By June Private McAdam had transferred to the 2nd Brigade and was in northern France and the Ypres Salient with his unit as a gunner. Over the next ten months, James stayed active with the 2nd Brigade until April 1916 when his personnel record reveals he was wounded by shrapnel fire during the Battle of St. Eloi. Details of the injury reported in the Daily Gleaner suggest that he was "one of six men who were wounded while attending the same gun during a heavy bombardment by the Germans" and James was seen carrying a wounded comrade to a dressing station when he received his wounds. After his injury on April 21, Private McAdam was sent to England for healing and recovery until being deemed physically fit to return to the field on July 12. He returned to France a few weeks after the beginning of the Battle of the Somme with the 12th Battalion and stayed with them over the summer of 1916 in and around the Somme region. According to his circumstance of death record, James would be killed during active engagements north of Pozieres on October 12, 1916. While little information exists to explain the particulars of his death, newspapers would report the McAdam family's loss a few weeks later offering sympathetic words on behalf of the community. James was twenty-two years old. His brother, Walter, would enlist the day after James' death and be killed a year later while fighting at Passchendaele.
Lest We Forget
Private James Murray McAdam is buried with honour at Bapaume Post Military Cemetery, located in Albert, France. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission there are approximately 229 identified casualties. The cemetery was designed by Charles Holden.