James Gibb's parents were Scottish-born William Gibb, and Irish-born Jane Gibb. His father was a Civil Engineer with the Merchant Navy.

Although James was born in South Shields, before he was 5, the family had moved to Poplar, in London. However, they returned to South Shields, and James joined the High School in 1898, at the age of 11.

He left in 1905, and went to Cambridge. Initially he obtained his BA, but went on to study Divinity, and became a Presbyterian Chaplain with the 44th Brigade (probably of the Royal Field Artillery).

However, that is all that is known so far, and he is assumed to have survived the war.