John Henry's Story.
John Henry was born in Wybunbury 10 October 1888, he was the second son of John, a railway signalman and Jane Tudor of 24 Middlewich Street, Crewe.
In 1901 the family were living at 24 Middlewich Street. John aged 12, had an elder brother William 15, and a sister Mary 14, his younger siblings were Henry 10, Walter 8, Annie 6, Joseph 3, and 4-month-old Edith. He was educated at Coppenhall School. When the 1911 census was taken on the evening of Sunday 2 April, it reported that John and Jane had been married for twenty-six years and that they had nine children, of which only Mary had left the family home, the youngest child was William 8. John 22 was working as a painter labourer for the L.N.W.R. at the Crewe Works North Sheds.
John enlisted in 1914 and went to France 16 January 1915 with the 2nd battalion Cheshire Regiment, he was wounded in the head during the Battle of Loos in October 1915. On 24 October the 2nd battalion left France embarking at Marseilles for Egypt arriving there on 29 October. On recovery from his wounds John was posted to the 10th battalion and returned to France, he suffered another wound during the battalion’s time on the Somme, after again recovering he re-joined the 10th
The 10th battalion left the Somme area at the end of October 1916. By February 1917 the were in Ploegsteert in Belgium, they took part in the battle of Messines in June 1917 and the Battle of 3rd Ypres, more commonly now know as Passchendaele. On August 11, 1917, the battalion were in trenches at Westhoek Ridge. At 9am on the 10th they had arrived at Railway Wood, on arrival at the wood further orders were received to move forward at once and take up position near to the front line on Westhoek Ridge. The war diary states that they took up positions 300 to 400 yards behind the newly captured positions. C. A. B. D. coys. trench ran between Kit & Kat and Westhoek. The battalion HQ was also in the trench as no dugout accommodation had been found. During the remainder of the day the trench was subjected at intervals to very heavy shelling which continued during the night. It also rained at intervals throughout the night.
11.8.17. The war diary continues.
The trench was heavily bombarded at dawn. Battalion received orders that it was to be relieved, but these were cancelled. Owing to notification of the order being cancelled not reaching the battalion did not receive any rations for the day, but the carrying parties brought up some water and some German tinned rations were eaten. The trench was shelled at intervals throughout the day and night.
It was during this shelling that John more than likely was killed. The battalion suffered 9 Other Ranks killed in action during the day with 2 more dying of wounds.
The battalion eventually moved out of the line at dusk on the 12th
The Crewe Chronicle dated 8 September 1917 reported John’s death, the article reports that John had suffered with frostbitten feet in December 1914, this is an error, as John did not go to France until January 1915. It is possible of course that this is a typing error, and it was December 1915 when he suffered with frost bite.
His mother, Jane received £17 10 shillings war gratuity in 1919. At some point after John’s death the family moved to 27 Crewe Green Avenue, Haslington.
As John had served overseas from 1915 the family later received three war medals, 15 Star and the British War and Victory medal.
John’s body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate in Ypres Panel 19.