James's Story.
Birkenhead News 16 June 1915HIGHER TRANMERE SOLDIER KILLED.
It is with regret that we announce the death of another of Higher Tranmere’s patriots, Private James Colbert, of “D” Company of the 1st Cheshire Regiment, who was killed in action on May 21st during the fighting around Hill 60.
His parents have received many letters from him since he crossed over to France about the latter end of October, 1914, and in one of the last sent he stated that he had been kept too busy to write. He describes the blowing up of the German trenches at Hill 60 as “the sight of a lifetime.” He said that the bombardment was frightful, and that he expected to be “bowled over every minute, but by the help of God we were spared to return quite safe to the trenches.”
The late Private James Colbert was 22 years of age and unmarried, and joined the 1st Cheshires at the commencement of the war, being formerly employed by Messrs. Merritt, brickmakers, Prenton, where he is extremely popular.