Remembrance – John Taylor

Remembrance – John Taylor

Today we remember Morton man John Taylor. Killed this day, 23rd October 100 years ago in 1916.

John was born in 1896 and was the second of 8 children born to Joseph Parker Taylor and his wife Emma Downs.

By 1911 Emma had passed away leaving Joseph to bring up the children.

By 1915 brother Joseph had joined the army and was killed in September 1915 fighting with the 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.

John also joined the army although records would suggest that he did not see overseas service until 1916 which could indicted that he joined after the death of his brother.

In 1916 John saw action with the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire regiment on the first day of the battle of the Somme. This day saw such divisional losses that they Battalion was withdrawn from the line and John spent the rest of the summer with his Battalion around the Loos area.

By mid October the Battalion had engrained for the Somme again arriving to a very wet, muddy and winter trench system. They entered the front line on the 19th October in advance of a planned attack on the 23rd October.
This attack would see the first wave of the Battalion being mown down, almost to a man, by rapid rifle and machine gun fire. Part of the brigade did succeed in taking 200 yards of enemy trench whilst under very intense raffle and machine gun fire. The main part of the were withdrawn after only a few hours but some part that had made the trench were still there some time later.

John Taylor was lost during this action that cost the Battalion 13 officers (out of 16) and 272 men out of 470.

Private John Taylor, 1943, Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 23rd October 1916 is remembered with honour on the Thiepval Memorial on Pier 1 face C.

John and his brother Joseph are both honoured on the Morton Memorial.

 

      

Remembrance – Bertie Rudkin

Remembrance – Bertie Rudkin

Today we remember Kirkby underwood man, Bertie Rudkin who gave his life in the Great War 100 years ago in 1916.

Bertie Rudkin was born in Morton in 1893 to Henry James Rudkin, a wagoner and his wife Mary Ann Wrighton.

Bertie was one of 7 children and the family moved from Morton to Witham on the Hill, Corby Glen and then on to Swinsted. Later the family settled at Kirkby Underwood.

Bertie can be found on the 1911 census was living with the Cook family in Swinsted and working as a wagoner on a farm.

He enlisted, along with his brother, Ernest, and joined the 1st Lincolnshire regiment.

During the week of the 23rd September, the battalion had been encamped near Fricourt and were called into action on the 25th September to be part of an attack. That day the battalion lost 21 men with 127 wounded and 16 missing in action.

On the 27th September Bertie Rudkin died of wounds and is buried at Etaples Military cemetery.

Etaples was the site of the final military hospital before being shipped back to England, it can be assumed that he died of wounds attained in the earlier fighting with his battalion but never made it back as far as being evacuated back to England.

Bertie is commemorated on the stained glass window at Kirkby Underwood Parish Church as well as the memorial plaque in the church.

Photograph courtesy of Lincolnshire Free Press

 

Remembrance – George Hill

Remembrance – George Hill

Today, 25th September, we remember George Hill who was killed in action 100 years ago today in 1916.

Rippingale born George and his brother Arthur, both signed up to fight for King and Country, unfortunately, along with their brother in law, Charlie Sharpe, none were to make it home at the end of the war.

George, a Wagoner working in Rippingale, signed up in Bourne on the 30th September 1914, first serving with the 10th battalion and then later with the 1st battalion Lincolnshire regiment. George was killed during the on going actions for the Battle of the Somme on the 25th September 1916.

George Hill is buried in Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs, France and also commemorated on the Rippingale Memorial.

A short history of George’s military career can be found on the Rippingale pages on the Jamie and Sue website.

Photo courtesy of Jim Latham

           

Remembrance – Albert Chambers

Rouen was the final resting place of over 8000 men who died of wounds during WW1 whilst in one of its many hospitals.

Today we pay our respects to Bourne Man Private Albert Chambers 4838 of the 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), who died of wounds received on the Somme on 20th September 1916 age 26.

Albert was the son of John Thomas and Dinah Chambers of 11 Stanley street Bourne and was a resident of Cawthorpe.

Remembered on the Bourne Memorial, Buried in St Sever Cemetery, Rouen.

Rest in Peace