More about James Reilly

James Reilly was the son of Mr James and Mrs Margaret Reilly of 11 Meadow Street, Dundee. He worked as a Merchant Seaman and his Royal Naval Reserve Service Record shows that he joined up at the Customs House in Dundee in January 1910. That record shows that he trained onboard the pre-Dreadnought battleship HMS Illustrious in April and May 1909 and that he had served 7 years in the RNR before 1910 but the service numbers listed do not produce any records. On the outbreak of war in August 1914 he was drafted to the Naval Barracks in Portsmouth, then Devonport and finally to HM Yacht Sea Fay. James Reilly drowned at Oban on 5 January 1915 and is buried in the Pennyfuir Cemetery, Oban, Argyllshire, Section O, Grave 192. He is not listed on the original Dundee Roll of Honour but is remembered on the Lodge Ancient 49 Memorial, Dundee (Service RN noted instead of RNR). He was a Mars Boy.