James was the Piermaster of the Naval Armament Depot at Stonecutters Island, Hong Kong from 1936-1941. He won a Royal Humane Society medal in 1939 for rescuing a number of Chinese persons from a derelict junk by swimming to it during a typhoon. James also worked alongside his superior (Sgd) W.C.T. Lampard during the Japanese attack on Hong Kong in December 1941, working on filled ammunition lighters which were constantly exposed to enemy air attack. From December 1941, James had been a member of the unit in the Hong Kong Naval Dockyard Defence Corps, which was taken when Hong Kong surrendered. James uncomplainingly endured 3 and a half years as Prisoner of War in Sham Shui Po camp and survived. James and Leah Constance (his first wife) returned to Connie's native land of Australia briefly, before returning to and settling in Hong Kong long term. Leah passed away in Hong Kong in 1957. James married Wai Lui in 1958 and they have three children: Mabel, James and Bobbie.
James also served in Egypt from 1923-11-13 to 1926-09-28.
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