TORRENS, James Claude

Sec.-Lieut. James C. Torrens

Second Lieutenant, "B" Co. 19th Batt., Machine Gun Corps
Died: 30/05/1918
Age: 27

Remembered on Soissons Memorial
Remembered on family memorial in Bangor Cemetery

James Claude Torrens was born in New Zealand in 1891. He was the son of James Torrens and his wife Matilda Torrens (nee Bradshaw). His parents had been married in 1888, his father then a farmer in Kildowney, Ballymena, and his mother, Matilda, hailing from the neighbouring townland of Ballynatormey.

It is unclear when the family moved to New Zealand but they had returned to Ireland by 1901 where they are recorded in the 1901 census as living in Ballymullen, Bangor.

Educated at the Municipal Techical Institute, James became a draughtsman in the drawing office of Workman, Clark & Co. shipyard.

The memorial panel from the Soissons Memorial
on which James is recorded

On the outbreak of the war, James joined the Y.C.Vs. were he gained the rank of Lance Corporal and fought at the Somme on 1st July. Afterwards he transferred to the Machine Gun Corp were he became a Sergeant and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 26th June 1917.

The Belfast Newsletter of 22nd June 1918 reported that "A letter has been received by his father from his captain, which states – 'From all accounts I hear he went back to fetch out one of the gun-teams, which would have been surrounded had he not gone back. His work at all times has been of the highest standard, and he did, I know, fine work in the last fight. He ws certainly one of my best section officers, and his death is a great blow to me.'"

His brother, William, was an officer in the American Army and both are recorded on the memorial scroll in Ballygrainey Presbyterian Church.

Portrait image from Larne Times courtesy of Nigel Henderson.