J. C. (James Coldham) Fussell

J. C. Fussell, identified by Project Gutenberg and library catalog records as J. C. (James Coldham) Fussell (1874–1945), appears to have left behind a very small published footprint. The work most clearly connected to him is Corporal Tikitanu, V.C., a novel that was later digitized by Project Gutenberg from scans held by the National Library of Australia.

That novel follows a Māori soldier from New Zealand to the battlefields of France during the First World War. Modern cataloging notes describe it as a mix of adventure, humor, and wartime fiction, with attention to Māori life, loyalty, and the emotional cost of war.

Because reliable biographical material on Fussell is scarce, much of his personal story remains unclear. What can be said with confidence is that his name is preserved through this unusual wartime novel, which has continued to circulate in public-domain and library collections long after its original publication.