James was grooming one of his father’s horses when the animal overturned a lamp and the hay on the floor was set alight.

Only his mother and a young brother were at the farm at the time. Hearing his shouts they helped him in his attempts to extinguish the fire with buckets of water. The flames, however, spread rapidly and soon the stable was ablaze. While his mother sent a ploughman for the fire brigade, James unaided stuck to his five horses, who were plunging madly in their terror.

Single-handed he succeeded in cutting the halters of two horses and leading them out of the stable to safety, but in attempting to rescue a third horse he was severely kicked. Blinded by the smoke and in great pain he had to give up the attempt and groping for the door ultimately got out himself. The roof fell in shortly afterwards and three other horses perished in the fire.

The Dundee Courier on 8th May 1939 records James being presented with his Cross for Heroism by Colonel S A Innes.