James Smith was born in Edinburgh on 5 June 1893, the son of Chief Engine Room Artificer 1st Class Alexander Smith and his wife Ellen Wilson Smith (née Wilson) of Dunfermline.

He joined the Royal Navy in January 1910, training at HMS GANGES and IMPREGNABLE before joining the cruiser HMS BERWICK as a Boy Telegraphist in February 1911, where he is recorded in the 1911 census, and was rated Ordinary Telegraphist on his 18th birthday. Subsequent drafts to HMS PEMBROKE and ACTAEON followed, before he joined the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS QUEEN as a Telegraphist in May 1912. A short draft to the cruiser HMS ST GEORGE followed, before he joined the 7th Submarine Flotilla in the depot ships HMS VULCAN/ALECTO (then at Dundee) in August 1913.

It is not known if he served in HMS C23 throughout, but he was washed overboard from C23, commanded by Lieut Cdr H D Edwards, DSO (q.v.), on the last day of 1914. His body was not recovered.

James’ father, Chief ERA Alexander Smith, (non-submariner) had been pensioned in 1906 but was recalled to service in WW1, and served both afloat and at HMS PRESIDENT. He died from illness in March 1918 at the age of 54 and is buried at Dunfermline.  His son, Telegraphist James Smith, is commemorated on the Chatham Naval War Memorial, and also on his father’s gravestone.