Private James William Addison was the son of Benjamin Addison and his wife of Walk Farm, Little Casterton, and was born in Norfolk on 12 December 1892. He was a horseman and a bandsman in the local Salvation Army Corps where he was described as a "hard worker and a faithful warrior." James joined up three weeks after the First World War began, enlisting in the 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment on 25 August 1914. He went out to France early in 1915 and went on to take part in the Battle of the Somme. He was killed in action on 20 November 1916 when the Battalion was in the Loos area near Noyelles. According to the war diary, he was the only casualty that day. Before his death, James had been singled out for special mention by the Major General commanding his Division but was killed before the honour could be bestowed. The gold letter-card recounting his actions was forwarded to his parents by his Platoon Officer who wrote: "He volunteered for this patrol. This is only a small illustration of the willingness with which he did any duty. I knew him as platoon runner, and I could always rely on him to do his duty as a good soldier and a fearless one." James is buried at Vermelles British Cemetery, grave V.G.22, and is remembered on Great Casterton's war memorial and also on a plaque inside Little Casterton church which used to be in Toll Bar Methodist Chapel.