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Endurance Obituaries |
 Endurance Obituaries |
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REGINALD WILLIAM JAMES
(09/01/1891 – 07/07/1964)
BORN : PADDINGTON. LONDON. ENGLAND
DIED : CAPE TOWN. SOUTH AFRICA
NICKNAME : JIMMY
DUTY : PHYSICIST
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Awarded Silver Polar Medal
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Reginald James was the first son of William George Joseph James and Isabel James, born in Paddington’s , All Saints Parish . London. He had a younger brother George and the family all lived over their father’s shop at 151 Praed Street , Paddington. James’ father was an Umbrella maker.
Reginald came to hear of Shackleton’s proposed expedition quite by accident.
He was at the end of his 5 years of study at Cambridge and was one day on his way to visit a sick friend. Whilst walking down the street he was spotted by a man who he had met before but hardly knew.
He hailed James from his window and asked if he was interested in going to the Antarctic. James replied without hesitation, No.
After more conversation, he was persuaded to change his mind and gave permission for his name to be forwarded to Sir Arthur Shipley. Shipley was Master of Christ’s College.Cambridge and had been approached by Shackleton to recommend certain scientific staff. The only post still to be filled was that of Physicist. Shipley interviewed James, and some three weeks later he received a wire from Shackleton asking him to attend an interview in London.
It is well known that the way in which Shackleton conducted his interviews for the Endurance members left most of them bemused. In James’ case his interview was to last around 5 minutes. He wrote:
“ All that I can clearly remember of it is that I was asked if I had good teeth, if I suffered from varicose veins, and if I could sing .”
He must have answered favourably as he was appointed the Expedition’s Physicist.
After the expedition ended, James returned to England in November 1916. He joined the British army and was soon posted to Ypres. France, where between 1917-1919 he joined the Royal Engineers Sound Ranging Section. He went on to become Captain and Officer in Command of the British Army Sound Ranging School.
Sound Ranging was a method of calculating the position of enemy guns by monitoring the arrival of the sound using a series of microphones along a base behind the front line. James played a major part in the development of this technique.
After the war ended , he obtained a position as lecturer in the Physics Department at Manchester University. Lancashire. England, and was promoted to Senior lecturer in 1921 and reader in experimental physics in 1934. James gained a world-wide reputation as being an expert in X-ray crystallography.
In 1936 , to the astonishment of his friends he announced that he was engaged to be married to one Annie Watson from Rochdale. Lancashire, and that he had applied for the post of Chair of Physics at Cape Town University South Africa.
He married Annie in December 1936 and actually got the news that he had got the job whilst on his Honeymoon ! In early 1937 they moved to South Africa where he lived out the rest of his life. Their marriage was by all accounts a successful and very happy one, producing 3 children : John Stephen in 1938, David William in 1940 and Margaret Helen in 1943.
In 1949 James suffered a serious heart attack and was forced to spend six months in bed convalescing.
James was appointed Professor of Physics in 1937 and between 1953-57 Vice Chancellor and Acting Principal of Cape Town University. In 1955 as recognition for his scientific work he was elected a fellow of The Royal Society. He retired from full time lecturing in 1958, but lectured on a part-time basis until 1963.
James is remembered by those who knew him as a very intelligent, warm hearted, lovable man. He died on 7th July 1964 as a result of a Coronary Thrombosis.
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REGINALD JAMES
PRINCIPAL AND
VICE CHANCELLOR
CAPE TOWN UNIVERSITY
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With thanks to John S. James. ( Eldest son of R.W.James)
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