david geraint james, also known as gerry, was born on 2 january 1922 in the mining village of treherbert, rhondda fawr valley, wales. his father, local headmaster david james, wrote a regular column in welsh for "the western mail", a daily national paper. james had one step brother, arnold, from his father's first marriage, who later became the town clerk of stepney. james's mother, sarah (née davies) who was widowed, had a family farm in llanarth, near new quay, cardiganshire and already had three daughters when she married james's father. james was her fourth child and was just six years old when his father died.