John William Thomas's Story.
Work in progress
SERGEANT MAJOR'S DEATH.
"Widespread regret will be occasioned by the announcement of the death of Sergeant-Major J.W.Francis, 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, whose home was at St. James-street, Chester. With the exception of a few days he had been at the Front since the war began, and in the early part he received the Medaille Militaire of the French Legion of Honour and was mentioned in dispatches. These honours came to him for gallantry at Le Cateau, and probably also for the part he took in the memorable retirement from Mons.
He also won distinction as an athlete, for he was the champion middle-weight boxer of the Cheshire Regiment and had appeared in the ring in Ireland and Chester. The sergeant major was also a crack shot and was one of the team which won the Henry Whitehead Cup.
On Friday, May 7th, the sergeant major received his wound. He and four other men volunteered to go out and take a trench. The four other men were killed and Francis was about to fire his revolver at a sniper when he was struck in the head by a bullet. He was taken to the British Hospital, Belle Vue, Boulogne. and was afterwards removed to the Nottingham Hospital, where he died. On Wednesday the body was brought to Chester and on Saturday the remains of the gallant sergeant- major were laid to rest in Chester Cemetery with full military honours."
SERGEANT MAJOR'S DEATH.
"Widespread regret will be occasioned by the announcement of the death of Sergeant-Major J.W.Francis, 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment, whose home was at St. James-street, Chester. With the exception of a few days he had been at the Front since the war began, and in the early part he received the Medaille Militaire of the French Legion of Honour and was mentioned in dispatches. These honours came to him for gallantry at Le Cateau, and probably also for the part he took in the memorable retirement from Mons.
He also won distinction as an athlete, for he was the champion middle-weight boxer of the Cheshire Regiment and had appeared in the ring in Ireland and Chester. The sergeant major was also a crack shot and was one of the team which won the Henry Whitehead Cup.
On Friday, May 7th, the sergeant major received his wound. He and four other men volunteered to go out and take a trench. The four other men were killed and Francis was about to fire his revolver at a sniper when he was struck in the head by a bullet. He was taken to the British Hospital, Belle Vue, Boulogne. and was afterwards removed to the Nottingham Hospital, where he died. On Wednesday the body was brought to Chester and on Saturday the remains of the gallant sergeant- major were laid to rest in Chester Cemetery with full military honours."