James Thomas Robinson Pastfield was the 2nd youngest of 5 children born to John and Elizabeth Pastfield of Exeter.
His father was a Superintendant of an Insurance Agency, and his mother was a housewife. He had two older sisters, Gladys
and Florence, and an older brother John. James was born on the 21st December 1892. He also had a younger brother
Joseph.
Having completed his education at Exeter School, he then progressed to Keble College,
Oxford where he graduated in 1913 with a BA Honours. Shortly after this he took a post as a teacher at Bloxham School.
He lived at 25, Farndon Road in Oxford.
At the outbreak of war, he enlisted at Oxford on the 8th
October 1914, and was commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment with immediate effect. It seems likely that he had served
in the OTC whilst at Keble, whihc may have speeded his admission into service. His commission was recorded in the London Gazzette
of the 21st November 1914.
There is some confusion as to when Pastfield actually arrived in France
with his regiment, as I am in possession of his campaign medals which have attached a clasp to the Mons star, suggesting he
arrived prior to midnight on the 23rd November, however his medal index card states he arrived after this date! (Oh of the
joys of research!)
The Batallion War diary makes no mention of his arriving with the regiment,
however it has been possible to ascertain that around the time of his death the regiment was in trenches near Hazebrouck in
Northern France. An account of what happened was provided by a soldier wounded in the same engagement that was to cost Pastfield
his life.
"We left Hazebrouck on the morning of the 21st
in motor buses, and we went to La Bassée. From there we marched some 3 or 4 miles to some cross roads and we
entered some fields. At about 6pm we were ordered to take some trenches. Our Captain has been wounded and we were
hesitating, looking round for officers when Lt Pastfield and his young friend Lt Wainwright said "Come on lads, we'll
lead you!" They did so, and shortly after our attack Lt Wainwright fell badly wounded. Lt Pastfield went
on and after some murderous fighting we took the trench. The Germans got into a position about 15 yards away.
Lt Pastfield was feeling faint from a wound he had received and a Lance Cpl begged him to go back and seek attention.
He refused saying he needed to find Lt Wainwright. He went out to where Lt Wainwright lay, and reeling from lack of
blood, he staggered and presenting an easy target, a German shot him through the head."
Further
bad luck was to strike the Pastfield family when Joseph who was serving with the 5/13th Battalion the Middlesex Regiment was
killed in action on 9th September 1918 in Palestine.
Pastfield's body was never found and he
is commemorated on the magnificent Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing in Belgium.
Lt Wainwright was probably 2nd Lt Geoffrey Chauner Wainwright of the 3rd/1st Northamptons who died on the 22nd December
1914 and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial.
