Born in 1885, James Murcott (as he was then known) was orphaned at the age of only four when both of his parents and one of his four siblings (a sister, Georgina) died in the 1889-1890 pandemic. The two older siblings had already left home, but young James was fostered by the Balck family, who had emigrated from Germany on the same ship as his grandparents. He started using their family name as his surname and the service officially recognised him as a Balck, although he never legally changed it. (The family name was legally changed from Murcott to Balck after James' death.)
Before joining the expeditionary forces as a Lieutenant only a few months after the First World War started, in October 1915, Balck worked as a lamplighter in Nelson. This entailed lighting the gas street lights around the city and reporting any damage or vandalism to the Inspector of Nuisances. In 1905, he married Eva Louisa Sutton, with whom he had three children prior to the war.
Before joining the expeditionary forces as a Lieutenant only a few months after the First World War started, in October 1915, Balck worked as a lamplighter in Nelson. This entailed lighting the gas street lights around the city and reporting any damage or vandalism to the Inspector of Nuisances. In 1905, he married Eva Louisa Sutton, with whom he had three children prior to the war.
Born in 1885, James Murcott (as he was then known) was orphaned at the age of only four when both of his parents and one of his four siblings (a sister, Georgina) died in the 1889-1890 pandemic. The two older siblings had already left home, but young James was fostered by the Balck family, who had emigrated from Germany on the same ship as his grandparents. He started using their family name as his surname and the service officially recognised him as a Balck, although he never legally changed it. (The family name was legally changed from Murcott to Balck after James' death.)
Before joining the expeditionary forces as a Lieutenant only a few months after the First World War started, in October 1915, Balck worked as a lamplighter in Nelson. This entailed lighting the gas street lights around the city and reporting any damage or vandalism to the Inspector of Nuisances. In 1905, he married Eva Louisa Sutton, with whom he had three children prior to the war.
Before joining the expeditionary forces as a Lieutenant only a few months after the First World War started, in October 1915, Balck worked as a lamplighter in Nelson. This entailed lighting the gas street lights around the city and reporting any damage or vandalism to the Inspector of Nuisances. In 1905, he married Eva Louisa Sutton, with whom he had three children prior to the war.
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