James Anderson was a boyfriend of Dorian Gray. They fought in the same platoon in the first world war. In 1915 they witnessed a Zeppelin raid after they left on leave from the front. James first met Dorian when he was sent to be in his platoon. They shared their first kiss after they were almost assassinated. He went on a mission to get a bell from an local church to use as a propaganda item. He had to shoot Stuart Knight to stop Knight from killing Dorian. After they managed to evade capture by the Germans James and Dorian had sex in the crypt of a church. (Angel of War) This night was the subject of his first poem. In 1920, Dorian came to see him and he was upset when he saw him as he thought he was dead. When Dorian changed his body to Rory's he fell in love again. He then helped Dorian regain his body. He helped him back to his lodgings and wrote him a letter saying that he couldn't be with him learning that he couldn't ever die. (The Prime of Deacon Brodie)
In 1935 he was an English teacher in a school in Edinburgh and started to write his memoirs. (Angel of War)