JAMES GRESTY
12 August 1890 - 23 January 1916
At School 1901 - 1907
Pte PS/4065 21st Royal Fusiliers
James was born in Heaton Moor, Stockport and in April 1891, aged 7 months, was living at 101 Sloane Street, Moss Side, with father James, a Timber Merchant, mother Florence, elder sister Florence and a domestic servant. By 1901 the family had moved to 66 Manley Road, Whalley Range and by 1911 had moved again to 193 Withington Road, Whalley Range and James, now aged 20 was working as an assistant in his father's business.
Private James Gresty of the 21st (S) Battalion Royal Fusiliers was killed instantly in action on January 23rd 1916, being buried by the collapse of a dug-out hit by an enemy shell. Always quiet and retiring by nature, by his intimate friends he was held in high esteem and affection for his thoroughly sterling qualities, his high principles and his tremendous moral strength. Those who knew him well used to say of him that he was steady as a church and as safe as a bank. He came to the School at Easter 1901, and remained for some six years, finishing up an even and successful school career on the science side. He was never a great deal to the fore in the public life of the School, but in his own way he exercised a powerful influence for good among a circle of friends, who greatly deplore his loss today.
Though the whole idea of fighting was utterly repugnant to his feelings, and though it was peculiarly difficult for him to go, yet he never hesitated when the call for duty came. Enlisting in one of the Public Schools Battalions in September 1914, he went out to France a year later, did his bit, and made the greatest of sacrifices. “He gave his life that others might be saved”. And yet one cannot say anything more wholly true than that this last act of unselfish and unswerving duty was just typical of the whole man. “This was indeed a man”.