James Yule played for Corinthians and Western Suburbs in Toowoomba before the war, prior to moving to Palmerston North in New Zealand.
He enlisted with the New Zealand forces in 1916, listing his Toowoomba-based mother as his next-of-kin, though this was changed to “friend” in Palmerston North named Miss Ross. His service was very precisely calculated in his NZ records as 3 years, 148 days. During this time Yule was attached to the 4th Battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force but was later transferred to a Light Railway unit as a sapper. The Light Railway built and ran small gauge railway lines to quickly transfer goods to near the front.
Yule survived the war and was discharged in 1919. His name was added to the Toowoomba British Football Association honour board alongside that of a W. Yule, presumably his brother and Corinthians clubmate William.
However, William Yule does have a military record with either the Australian or New Zealand forces, implying he gave other service such as in a munitions factory.