James Samuel Emerson
- Born
- 1895-08-03 12:00:00
- Died
- 1917-12-06 12:00:00
- Gender
- Male
James Samuel Emerson was born on the 3rd of August 1895 in Collon, County Louth.
As a young man he enlisted with the Britsh Army to help in the War effort.
On the 6th of December, 1917, Emerson was on the Hindenberg Line, a German defensive point in France. He led his company in a counter attack, clearing 400 yards of trenches. He carried on the attack, even after being wounded in the head by a bomb which detonated nearby. He refused to leave the battle for the dressing tent and continued to fight for some hours until he was mortally wounded and died on the battlefield.
So inspirational was Emerson's courage on the last day of his life, that he was posthumously awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross.
Emerson's burial place is unknown, but his name is inscribed on a War Memorial in his native Collon.
