In Burma With The 1st Rifle Brigade.

India General Service Medal 1854 with clasps "Burma 1885 - 7" & "Burma 1887 - 89".
7052 Pte. J. Foy, 1st Rifle Brigade.

James Foy appears on the 1871 Census as the illegitimate two year old son of Bridget Foy, a 23 year old spoon polisher living in her parents' house at Vale Court, Birmingham. By the time of the 1881 Census, Bridget was living in Digbeth with James, now aged eleven, and Mary, his six year old sister. On leaving school, James found work as a labourer but on 9th October 1884 he met Sergeant Cox of the Coldstream Guards and was persuaded to enlist in the army, agreeing to serve for seven years with the Colours and five years in the 1st Class Army Reserve. James probably lied about his age as, assuming that the information in the Census records is reasonably correct, he can have been barely 15 years old at this point. His Attestation Papers, however, record his age as 18, his religion as Roman Catholic, and describe him as 5' 4" tall with blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion.

On 13th October 1884, James joined the Rifle Brigade at the Regimental Depot in Winchester. After a period of basic training, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion and spent the next two years on home service. In April 1885, he obtained his 4th Class Certificate of Education.

In October 1886, James was posted to the 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, which was stationed at Belgaum in India. James would stay with the 1st Battalion for the next five years, during which time he would serve over two years in Burma involved in the military operations to bring the country under British rule and earning entitlement to the India General Service Medal. You can read more about the 3rd Anglo-Burmese War here. In addition, he was awarded his 1st and 2nd Good Conduct Pay, advanced to Lance Corporal (June 1888) and then Corporal (May 1889), and obtained his 3rd and 2nd Class Certificates of Education (August 1889 & February 1890).

James Foy returned to England in December 1891 and was transferred to the Army Reserve, his seven years of service having been completed. In April 1893, he married Mary McHale at St Michael's Catholic Church in Birmingham. After five years in Section "A" of the Reserve, James re-engaged for four years in Section "D" and, as a result of this, found himself mobilised for service in the Boer War in May 1900. He served one year and 128 days in South Africa with the 1st Rifle Brigade, his old Battalion, and was appointed Acting Sergeant on 23rd July 1900. He was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with three clasps. You can read more about the Rifle Brigade in the Boer War here.

Late in 1901, James was sent back to the UK and was finally dischargd from the army on 18th October at Gosport. His character was described as "very good" and his intended place of residence was given as Bradford Street, Birmingham. He had served a total of 17 years and 10 days, but his military career was far from over.

In September 1902, at the age of 36, James attested for the Royal Garrison Regiment, enlisting as no: 5662 with the rank of Private, and agreeing to serve for two years garrison duty with the Colours. He was quickly appointed Lance Corporal and, in March 1903, sent to Malta to serve with the garrison at Mtarfa. Soon after arriving, he spent six days in hospital because of a hernia, resulting from a rupture suffered in South Africa in 1901. He would have heard of the birth of his son, James Michael, back in Birmingham on 1st August 1903. He was promoted to Corporal in October of the same year.

In March 1904, James was on his way back to England and was discharged on completion of his two years' service on 17th September. His character on discharge was again described as "very good" and his intended place of residence was now Trent Street, Birmingham.

On 29th December 1904, James again enlisted in the Rifle Brigade in order to serve as a volunteer in the Reserve Division of the Militia. His attestation Papers record the fact that he was working as a clerk for the Birmingham City Gas Office at the time. Four years later, on completion of his term of engagement, he was discharged.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, James Foy once more came forward to serve his country. On 9th September 1914, at the age of 48, he again enlisted as a rifleman in the Rifle Brigade at Winchester. He was immediately promoted to Sergeant and posted to the Depot. In September 1915, he was posted to the 14th (Reserve) Battalion of the Rifle Brigade and appointed Acting Company Quarter Master Sergeant. Early in 1916, he was attached to the 21st KRRC and later in the same year joined the 25th (Reserve) Garrison Battalion of the Rifle Brigade. This unit was employed on coastal defence in the Falmouth area and also supplied drafts for the Territorial Battalions of the Rifle Brigade. It was disbanded on 26th March 1919 and on the same day James Foy was discharged from the army for the last time. He had served in the UK for the duration of the war, his service being recognised by the award of a Meritorious Service Medal, which was announced in the Peace Gazette of 3rd June 1919.