John Basil's Story.
John Basil Armitage was born on the 28th May 1876, in Altrincham. He was the eldest son of William (a cotton merchant) and Margaret Petre Armitage. John was educated at Sedbergh School. He became an architect and house furnisher and subsequently went to work for his uncle Mr G Faulkner Armitage J.P the then Mayor of Altrincham and later became a partner in the family firm of Armitage and Wolf.
He was married at Bowden Downs on the 8th May 1903 to Kathleen O’Hanlon they had three children. Robert Faulkner born 7th April 1906: Nancy Kathleen born 30th May 1904 and Anne Ryder born 12th January 1911. The 1911 census taken on the 2nd April shows John living at West Acre, Dunham Massey, with Anne who was under 3 months and three servants, a cook, nurse, and a housemaid. Kathleen with their two other children, Nancy and Robert were staying at Syene, Great Orme Road, Llandudno. He was commissioned into the army as a Lieutenant on the 1st March 1915 in the 1/5th Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment and served with the B.E.F. in France from the 10th October 1916, rising to the rank of Captain.
Brief history of the Battalion:
The 5th (Earl of Chester's) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment had its HQ at Volunteer Street Chester. A Coy were from Altrincham and Knutsford, B Coy from Chester and Kelsall, C Coy from Sale and Cheadle, D Coy from Hartford, E Coy from Chester, F Coy from Frodsham and Lymm, G Coy from Runcorn and H Coy from Hartford.
They were with the Cheshire Brigade, Welsh Division when war was declared in August 1914. They were immediately mobilized and moved to Shrewsbury and Church Stretton, by the end of August they moved to Northampton and then in December to Cambridge for final preparations. They proceeded to France on the 15th of February 1915, landing at Le Havre to join 14th Brigade, 5th Division. They were in action in The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, The Battle of Le Cateau, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, The Battles of La Bassee and Messines and The First Battle of Ypres. In 1915 they were in action at The Second Battle of Ypres and the Capture of Hill 60. In autumn 1915, many units were exchanged with units from the newly arrived volunteer 32nd Division, to stiffen the inexperienced Division with regular army troops. On the 29th of November 1915 they became a Pioneer Battalion. On the 13th of February 1916 the 1/5th Chester’s transferred to the newly reformed 56th (London) Division, in the Hallencourt area in February. In 1916 they were in action on The Somme taking part in the diversionary attack at Gommecourt on the 1st of July. Also The Battle of Ginchy, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, The Battle of Morval in which the Division captured Combles and The Battle of the Transloy Ridges. In 1917 they were in action during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the Battles of Arras in April, then The Battle of Langemarck in August, then the Cambrai Operations in November.
John arrived in France on the 10th October 1916. And on the 17th joined the battalion at Conde-Folie. On the 13th December, he took over the duties of acting adjutant, just five days later he relinquished the post and took up the duties of camouflage officer. By the 24th March 1917 John had been promoted to Captain and he attended a course at the 3rd Army Infantry school of Instruction, just over a month later on the 29th April he re-joined the battalion and resumed command of C Company.
The following May 1917, the battalion were in Arras, the four companies took turns in the frontline trench duties. On the 16th C Company relieved B company, John was killed in action on the 17th May 1917. The war diary for the day states only the following:
Casualties Capt. J B Armitage Killed, 1 O.R Killed, 8 Wounded, 1 Missing after heavy shelling.
1917 probate register shows he left effects to the value of £2150 6s to Kathleen and his brother Noel Armitage, sadly for the family Noel was also killed in action just under a year later on the 25th April 1918 while serving with the Household Cavalry.
John is buried at Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-Les-Mofflaines a village 3 kilometres south east of Arras. Grave Ref: I.F.6