John Bird's Story.
John Bird Carefull originally joined the 7th Cheshire Regiment at Macclesfield, 6 October 1914. He embarked from Devonport 17 July 1915 for Alexandria, arriving there 1 August. Sixteen day later he embarked for Gallipoli. He was admitted to the 14th casualty clearing station, Gallipoli, 30 September suffering with Pyrexia. John was evacuated to the No.21. General Hospital Alexandria arriving there 4 October.
John seated on the left, the other two are unknown.
On the 29th he was invalided back to England, arriving back in the UK 8 November. He spent just over a year in the UK, on 2 December 1916 John sailed from Southampton for France, he was sent to the base depot in Rouen and on 21 December was posted to the 9th battalion Cheshire Regiment. 17 February 1917 he was admitted to No.3. casualty clearing station suffering with trench foot. Between 24 February and 14 June 1917 John was at home. He returned to France and was posted to the 13th battalion Cheshire Regiment 16 June 1917.
John was killed in action 8 August 1917. The war diary for the 13th battalion Cheshire Regiment gives little detail, they moved into line on the Bellewarde Ridge, near to Hooge on 5 August with two companies moving on the Westhoek Ridge, they were relieved on the 11th. During this period, they reported 50 killed, 266, wounded and 56 missing. Records now show that 103 were killed.
Nantwich Guardian, Friday, August 24, 1917.
Private John Carefull
Mr. Mrs. W. H. Carefull, Beam Street, Nantwich, were officially notified on Tuesday morning of the death of their eldest son, Private John Carefull, Cheshire Regiment. The first intimation they received was on Friday morning from Mrs. Case, The Barony, whose husband, Private Case, had written telling her that Private Carefull had been killed, and two other Nantwich lads had been seriously wounded.
Om Saturday morning Mrs. Carefull received the following letter from a corporal belonging to the same platoon as her son: “I regret to have to inform you that your son was killed on the 9th inst., by a shell which dropped into the trench occupied by my platoon. Your son and three others were killed outright and never felt any pain. I want to offer my sympathy and that of the men in your trouble. Although your son was only with the battalion a month or so it was long enough to recognize a good and willing soldier. He will be missed by all his comrades. If in your sadness you can find some consolation let it be that your son did his duty nobly and without flinching.”
Private John Carefull who was only 19 years of age, had seen a great deal of active service. An assistant with his father in the pawnbroking business, he enlisted along with a friend of his, Private Tom Lewis (who was killed at the Dardanelles just two years ago) in October 1914. He was invalided home from Gallipoli with dysentery. On his recovery he went to the front and was subsequently invalided to this country with frostbite. He had been at the front again for the last six weeks. Private Carefull was an old scholar of the Church of England Schools, and before the war was an active member of the Boy Scouts. A younger brother Private Harry Carefull is serving at the front as a signaller.
John's headstone date unknown.
Memorial plaque (Dead Mans Penny)
John’s brother Harry, survived the war he was taken prisoner, his page can be found here.
The Cheshire Roll of Honour would like to thank Andy Garford for the pictures of John.