James Stanley Tempest was born at Otley in 1895, one of six children born to William and Elizabeth Tempest. At the time of the 1911 Census, James was a 15-year-old student living at Creskeld, Arthington with his parents and siblings Annie, William, Arthur, John Lawson and Norman. The family moved later to Broomleigh in Pannal.
James, together with his older brother William, enlisted into the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (K.O.Y.L.I.) on 24th or 26th October 1914, and both were posted to France with the regiment's 8th Battalion, disembarking at Havre on 27th August 1915.
In June 1916, the battalion underwent extensive training at Franvillers in preparation to take part in the opening day of the Somme offensive. Over the night of 29th/30th June, the battalion moved into trenches in front of Authuille Wood. Captain G. L. Pyman, commanding the battalion in the aftermath of its attack on 1st July, reported on the operation:
During the preliminary bombardment our losses from hostile shell fire were considerable. I estimate them at 10% of the whole strength. The first two waves, leaving our trenches just before 7.30am, reached the German lines with only slight loss. The remaining waves lost heavily in NO MAN’S LAND from machine-gun fire from both flanks, and I estimate their loss before they reached the German front line at 60%. No casualties occurred from our own artillery. The German wire offered no obstacle. Our men were soon mixed up with those of the 8th York & Lancasters, 9th York & Lancasters, 11th Sherwood Foresters and 2nd Lincolns, and severe fighting took place for the second German trench, which several times changed hands. Several of our men penetrated at one time the third line. At the second and third lines we were held up by machine guns. The enemy relied throughout almost entirely on machine guns and bombs, very little on rifles and bayonets. At about 8.30am the order “Retire” was passed round, possibly originating from the enemy, and our men were thereafter organised and rallied by officers of 2nd Lincolns, our own N.C.Os and sometimes by men, and returned to the attack, time after time, fighting for the second and third lines. The last man of this battalion to leave the German lines left at about 6pm, and it is thought that there were none of our men being then in the German second line. Very few of our officers reached the German trenches. The Germans were many times observed sniping and bombing our wounded. Our battalion went into action with 25 officers, 1 medical officer and 659 other ranks. Of these the medical officer and 110 other ranks have reported to the battalion. The above statement has been put together from evidence taken from N.C.Os and men only, no officer taking part in the operation being available.
Although William survived 1st July 1916 - and would survive the war - James was among those killed in action; his body was recovered from the battlefield and lies buried in Blighty Valley Cemetery, Authuille Wood.