James Norman Lancaster (known as Jimmie) was born on 19th February 1888, and entered King Edward’s School in September 1903. His father, William, was an optician and later camera manufacturer, and the family, including his three sisters and his aunt and uncle, as well as four servants, lived at Pine Crest, Barnt Green.
At School, Jimmie was a strong academic, with a particular talent for languages. He does not appear in the School magazines, but this is unsurprising as he only attended KES for two years. After School, Jimmie studied at Birmingham University and spent three years in the university Officer Training Corps. Thereafter, he managed the family business, J Lancaster & Son, manufacturers of cameras and microscopes, which were exported across the globe.
In August 1914, Jimmie gained a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the 9th Worcestershire Regiment. He was killed in Gallipoli during the assault on Chunuk Bair on 10th August 1915, aged twenty-seven. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey, and on the University of Birmingham War Memorial.