James Alexander Stevenson was a 20-year-old labourer from Toowoomba who enlisted in 1915. He arrived in Europe in early 1916 and was assigned to the 2nd Pioneer Battalion, responsible for engineering works such as digging trenches and laying light railway lines. By the end of the year Stevenson had been charged with drunkenness, received gunshot wounds in the chest and arms in France and had a bout of appendicitis.
He never returned to the front and was finally sent back to Australia in August 1917, with the gunshot wound to his right arm and his eyesight cited as the reasons for his discharge.
After the war he was involved in soccer and was added to the Toowoomba British Football Association honour board in May 1918. It is uncertain if he played before the war, though Stevensons were seen playing for Corinthians at the start of the decade. He was one of two co-secretaries of the Association and played for Diggers, a club formed by returned soldiers.