James Boyd Courtney was born on February 23, 1920, in Lawton, Ramsey County, North Dakota. He was the son of Alex and Margaret (née Boyd) Courtney of Lawton (both parents born in Ireland); husband of Edna May Courtney of Hornchurch, Essex, England; brother of William, David, Lillian, Hannah, Agnes, and Alice.
A farm laborer by trade, residing in Lawton, North Dakota, USA, he enlisted in the RCAF on March 10, 1941, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. James served in the 90 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Pilot Officer.