James Courtney (New Zealand) - First World War

First World War

James Courtney was a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion of the Wellington Regiment in World War I.

His first feat of gallantry in the field occurred at the beginning of July 1916, in France. No Man's Land wiring was one of the infantryman's most important and dangerous duties. Sergeant James Courtney, he was promoted to Lieutenant later, was in command of a wiring party when hostile machine gun fire was directed at them. Two men were killed and two were wounded. Courtney ordered the remainder of the party back, he himself carrying one of the wounded men. The other walked in by himself, but in ignorance of this Courtney went out again with the stretcher-bearers to find him. He found the body of one of the dead men and brought it in. Then finally he went out to search the ground to ensure no one was left in No Man's Land. All this was done under continuous heavy machine gun fire and whilst he was negotiating his own wiring (Stewart, pp. 38-9 & Wright, Chapter 3-The Somme p. 69).

Courtney was awarded the Military Cross for marked gallantry and able leadership. On 4 November 1918 during operations near Villereau, Courtney was in charge of a leading platoon when the advance was held up by machine gun fire, he personally reconnoitred forward, and then leading a party of his own men to the flank, rushed the machine gun, killing a number of the crew and taking the remainder prisoners, also capturing the gun. The capture of the gun saved many casualties (McDonald, p. 71).