BX May 7, 1915
The name of James Dockray was this morning added to the honor roll of Brantford, word having been received by his sister at Milton Heights, near Milton, Ont., that he had been wounded. No particulars were given of the extent of his wounds.
James Dockray was employed here at the Massey-Harris works and by the Brantford Roofing Co. He boarded with A.D. Barber, 35 Palace Street. Before the war he had left the city, going to work at Milton, but when the war broke out he came to Brantford to enlist with the Duffs, of which he had been a member before his departure for Milton. He left with Capt. M.A. Colquhoun and the first contingent, though not a member of the Dufferin Rifles Company.
BX May 12, 1915
Harmony Men Wounded
Three of Harmony Lodge’s I.O.O.F., representatives at the front has been mentioned in the casualty list as far as known, these being Lange Corporal James Dockray, Private Edward Easton Hooper and Private Joseph Robinson. Private Henry Albert Houlding, of Gore Lodge, was also wounded. The death of Corp. Claude Fraser Charlton, of Mohawk Lodge, is keenly felt in local Oddfellowship circles, the late brother having proved himself a decided credit to the organization.
BX October 5, 1916
Brantford Casualties
Mrs. Mary Dockray, 12 Princess Street, this morning received official word from Ottawa that her son, Corporal James Dockray, of the 4th Battalion a member of the First Contingent, had been wounded for the second time, the latest being on Sept. 21, when he was seriously wounded in the hip and leg by shrapnel. He had previously been wounded at Langemarck, being one of the veterans of the “Mad Fourth” charge. He is now in the 22nd General Hospital, Dannes Camiers. He was a sergeant in the Dufferin Rifles before enlistment.
Mrs. Dockray has three other sons on the firing line, C.S.M. John Dockray with the 4th; Pte. Joseph, with the 76th, who enlisted at Milton and Sergt. Arthur, with the Kitchener Army.
BX September 7, 1917
Returned Men
The following returned soldiers are expected to arrive in the city tonight or tomorrow, via G.T.R.: Sergeant J. Dockray, 12 Princess Street, H.E. Bayley, 27 Fair Avenue, A. Gaydon, 70 Wallace Street, J.J. Rowcliffe, 186 West Mill Street, A. Taylor, 393 Colborne Street, H. Venting, 209 West Mill Street.
BX September 8, 1917
No Shortage of Food Yet – Sergt. A. Taylor Comments on Living Conditions
That conditions in England are not as serious as the newspapers would lead the people to believe was the statement of Sergt. A. Taylor, of 393 Colborne Street, who went overseas with the 215th Battalion a few months ago, and arrived back in the city last evening. The prices of food, he states, are very high but there is no actual shortage of food. Sugar is the only food that is scarce.
Sergt. Taylor, who has been in England for about four months, was returned to Canada on account of his age and for instructional purposes. He arrived last evening on the 7.32 G.T.R., and with him was Sergt. J. Dockray of 12 Princess Street. The expectation was that six returned heroes would arrive back last evening but, the Soldiers’ Aid Commission received no further word yesterday, a mishap having occurred some place. However, a couple of the members of the commission met Sergt. Taylor and Dockray and took them to their respective homes.
James Dockray
In both the first battle of Ypres and in the Somme last year did Sergt. Dockray suffer wounds. After some time spent in the hospital after his first wounding he was again sent back to the front. He was again wounded in the Somme. He is now incapacitated, suffering with a badly injured left leg and shrapnel wounds. He had one brother killed in action, another invalided home to England and a third recently won his commission on the field of action. His father and mother reside at 12 Princess Street.
According to the two men returned Pte. Bayley, also of this city, is somewhere between Brantford and Quebec.
The 215th Battalion was not in England ten days before it was scattered in all directions Sergt Taylor told a reporter. Most of the battalion went in the first Brant County Battalion at Witley Camp. Part of it is, however, in France now, reinforcing the front line. The second Brant County Battalion was used as a “feeder” for the 125th. All the non-commissioned officers were reduced to privates at Witley.
Of the officers of the two Brant County Battalions, he said that as far as he knew only two were in France. They are Major Jones and Capt. Tyrwhitt, who went across with the Imperial forces.
On all sides in England is readily apparent a determination to win the war. All classes are strongly united in this determination. The only real affects the air raid had on England he said, was to foster a deep feeling of hatred against the Germans and further strengthen the determination to fight the war to a finish.
Sergeant Taylor was in the recent air raid at Folkestone and was twice in London during air raids. “The Germans will have to find different methods to frighten the people of England” was a significant remark made by Sergeant Taylor in regards to the air raids. A noticeable feature in London was that the people, instead of taking to cover during an air raid, wanted to see all that was going on. However there was no panic.
