Birth name | James Young Milne Henderson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 9 March 1891 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 31 July 1917 | (aged 26)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Flanders, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lt. James Young Milne Henderson (9 March 1891 – 31 July 1917) was a Scottish rugby union player and British Army officer who was killed in World War I.[1]
He was educated at George Watson's College and played for the Watsonian RFC. A diverse athlete, he also played cricket, field hockey and was a champion swimmer as well, winning the East of Scotland swimming championship.[2]
He moved to Travancore, India for business. There he played for Madras Rugby Club.[3]
He played for the Blues Trial side against the Whites Trial side on 21 January 1911, while still with Watsonians.[4]
Milne Henderson was a works manager for the Scottish food company McVitie and Price.
He served in the Highland Light Infantry and was mentioned in despatches by Field Marshal the Earl Haig.[3] He was killed in the Third Battle of Ypres in July 1917. He is commemorated at the Menin Gate Ypres Memorial.[5]
Milne Henderson was born James Young Henderson in Edinburgh to John, a chartered accountant and bank manager, and Edwardina "Ina" Young Henderson. (The family added the Milne to their surname a few years after he was born.) He had four brothers and one sister.[6]
His younger brother 2nd Lt. John Milne Henderson of the Royal Flying Corps was killed six months later in France.[7] Their oldest brother was Royal Navy Commodore Thomas Milne Henderson OBE (1888–1968).