John Edward Fitzpatrick, 2nd Bn., Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regt.); Pte., 10765, KIA (Gas Poisoning), 5 May 1915

[malcway]

I am researching the above man, a distant relative of mine.  Although his service record has not survived, I had hoped to reconstruct his movements overseas from the date he arrived in France on 15 April 1915 until his death by gas poisoning just three weeks later on 5 May 1915 from the Battalion War Diary.  However, although searching the Naval and Military Press DVD and the Ancestry databases I have been unable to locate this.  Am I looking for something that hasn’t survived? 

If that is the case, does anyone have access to a Regimental History they would be prepared to copy the relevant pages from for me please?  I understand (‘Hill 60” – Nigel Cave) that on the 18^th April his Battalion participated in the successful assault on Hill 60, suffering many casualties, but that on the 5^th May (the date John died) the German’s launched a counter attack using chlorine gas and retook the ground they had lost.  The Battalion once again suffered many casualties.  John’s body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing. I have his MIC, his ‘Soldiers’ Effects’ entry, and the Pension Ledger card for his widow.  (I’ve also got a reasonably extensive ‘reference library’ that has books by Major & Mrs Holt, Ray Westlake, (and others) that have brief accounts of the action, but would like to see anything written by someone who was there or soon after.   

(As an aside and for future reference, is anyone aware of a list of Diaries known not to have survived?)

Any assistance or advice much appreciated

Malcolm

 

[ss002d6252]

Have you looked at this diary ?
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352243

Craig

[Coldstreamer]

ive looked on fmp and he is quite elusive, found nothing on him ?

maybe search engine playing up or the details wrong ? 

[sadbrewer]

Have you got anymore detail on him at all?

  CWGC suggests Halifax, but no address for next of kin etc.

 

[Old Owl]

Hi Malcolm,

 

If you PM me an email address I can send you images of the period in question from the Regimental History--this is about 11 pages long but includes maps and makes very interesting reading. It seems that your relative would have experienced two very nasty episodes at Hill 60 between 18/4/15 and 5/5/15 when he was fatally gassed.

 

Robert

[RaySearching]

 

 

1 hour ago, Coldstreamer said:

ive looked on fmp and he is quite elusive, found nothing on him ?

maybe search engine playing up or the details wrong ? 

 

 

Served as John Fitzpatrick  3/10765  

Born and enlisted Halifax

[sadbrewer]

19 minutes ago, Old Owl said:

Hi Malcolm,

 

If you PM me an email address I can send you images of the period in question from the Regimental History--this is about 11 pages long but includes maps and makes very interesting reading. It seems that your relative would have experienced two very nasty episodes at Hill 60 between 18/4/15 and 5/5/15 when he was fatally gassed.

 

Robert

 A report from the newspapers you may find interesting...published on the 10th May, 1915.

Courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 17 May , 2020 by sadbrewer

[Vlaamse Verhalen]

53 minutes ago, RaySearching said:

 

 

 

 

Served as John Fitzpatrick  3/10765  

Born and enlisted Halifax

 

I've not (yet) seen Edward being used anywhere, as his middle name......but his first-born son was James Edward Fitzpatrick (Halifax, 30th Sep. 1910)

 

His wife was formerly Mary McHale (born County Mayo, Ireland c.1880/1, married 1908) & the family name is actually written on the 1911 Census form as Fitz Patrick....which is possibly why it's not being picked up in the FMP search. Intriguingly, although the births of his two sons (Willie born in 1913, also in Halifax) show up on FreeBMD, they don't do so using the GRO, which suggests an error of entry on there too.

[clk]

Hi Malcolm,

 

On Ancestry, for April 1915, the Battalion war diary starts here, and the Brigade HQ diary here. Craig in post #2 linked the Battalion war diary at the National Archives where it is currently free to download if you register an account. The Brigade diary is here.

 

Service papers show that the following men originally attested to the 3rd Battalion, as shown:

 

3/10760 Hickman - 15.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10762 Russell - 15.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10763 Russell - 17.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10765

3/10776 Dunne - 17.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10779 Taylor - 13.8.1914 at London

3/10784 Guess - 18.8.1914 at Halifax

 

Regards

Chris

[sadbrewer]

25 minutes ago, clk said:

Hi Malcolm,

 

On Ancestry, for April 1915, the Battalion war diary starts here, and the Brigade HQ diary here. Craig in post #2 linked the Battalion war diary at the National Archives where it is currently free to download if you register an account. The Brigade diary is here.

 

Service papers show that the following men originally attested to the 3rd Battalion, as shown:

 

3/10760 Hickman - 15.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10762 Russell - 15.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10763 Russell - 17.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10765

3/10776 Dunne - 17.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10779 Taylor - 13.8.1914 at London

3/10784 Guess - 18.8.1914 at Halifax

 

Regards

Chris

 

Private Guess was shown as gassed, in the same casualty list as Fitzpatrick. 

[ilkley remembers]

2 eye witness accounts from the Halifax Evening Courier 8th May and 10th May

[ilkley remembers]

Entry on list of Calderdale War Dead

 

 

[RaySearching]

This appears to be his birth

 

 

 

This also may  be the John Fitzpatrick in question

 

 

U.K.Army Deserters  In Fold Three

 

Ray

[RaySearching]

If the correct chap the plot thickens

[ilkley remembers]

There is a report in a newspaper relating to a court appearance which states that he formally served in both the navy and the army

[RaySearching]

11 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

There is a report in a newspaper relating to a court appearance which states that he formally served in both the navy and the army

 

It appears that he deserted the army joined the navy , run from the navy(deserted) returned to the navy, received 5 years imprisonment 

for striking an officer, released from prison and rejoined the army at some point

a bit of a character 

 

 

Ray

[RaySearching]

John Fitzpatrick payed the ultimate sacrifice on hill 60

 

As an aside here are a couple of his comrades who perished in the same action

JENKINS WILLIAM JOHN

Private WILLIAM JOHN JENKINS

10276 2nd Bn Duke of Wellingtons Regiment (West Riding Regiment)

William was wounded in action (gassed) on Hill 60 and died of his wounds on the 5th May 1915 aged 20/21

 

following is an extract from a post made some time ago by Old Owl (Robert) on the forum 

(According to the regimental history 5th May 1915
At 8.00 am the Germans, aided by a favourable wind, sent over asphyxiating gas (chlorine)with disastrous effects.—We had not received gas masks yet, only a piece of gauze soaked in a solution—this solution after a few minutes required renewing, a procedure absolutely impossible, of course, in action.  On came this terrible stream of death, and before anything could be done, all those occupying the front line over which it swept were completely overcome, the majority dying at their posts---true heroes.—The battalion suffered over 300 casualties that morning, large numbers dying as a result of this barbarous gas)

 

William was the son of John a gas fitting maker in a tube factory and Elizabeth Jenkins (nee Nabbs) and the stepson of Lydinia Jenkins

His widowed father having married Lydina Short in Middlesbrough in 1909

William can be found on the 1911 census residing with his father stepmother and siblings at 10 Queens Street

North Ormesby employed as a grocers assistant

William shares a grave with two of his comrades Pte 3/10624 Thomas Donley from Leeds and Private 12368 Herbert Peckover from Middlesbrough both of whom also perished on the Hill 60 on the 5th May during the same battle

The register of soldiers’ effects list his father John as the sole legatee of his effects

The claimant of a dependant’s pension is listed as Mr John Jenkins (father) of 10 Queen Street North Ormesby Middlesbrough

Born Wolverhampton enlisted Middlesbrough lived in North Ormesby

DIVISIONAL CEMETERY (Belgium)

 

Photo courtesy of Dorothy Glass

 

PECKOVER HERBERT

Private HERBERT PECKOVER

12368 2nd Bn Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regiment

Herbert was wounded in action (gas poisoning) on Hill 60 during the Battle of St Julien and died of his wounds aged 43 on 5th May 1915

He was the son of Jane Peckover and the husband of Hannah Peckover (nee Hart) the couple married in Middlesbrough in 1899  

Herbert can be found on the 1901 census residing with his wife at her parent’s address Toll Bar Cottages North Ormesby employed by the corporation as a road labourer. On the 1911 census Herbert can be found residing as a boarder at 7 Temple Street Middlesbrough employed as a steelworker, at the time of Herbert’s death the family were residing at 31 Avon Street Middlesbrough, A later address for his wife Hannah is St Neots in Huntingdonshire

Herbert shares a grave with two of his comrades Pte 3/10624 Thomas Donley from Leeds and Private 10276 William John Jenkins from Middlesbrough both of whom also perished on the Hill 60 on the 5th May during the same battle

The register of soldiers’ effects list his widow Hannah as the legatee of his effects

The claimant of a dependant’s pension is listed as Hannah (widow born 11/1/1877 with an allowance for four children Ruth-Cathleen born 5/1/1903, Sidney born9/4/1904, John born 1/1/1910 and Jennie born 7/3/1915

Born Westminister London enlisted Middlesbrough  (N.E.D.G 29th/30th May 1915 / photo I.C 8th June 1915)

DIVISIONAL CEMETERY

 

 

 

Headstone photo courtesy of British War Graves

 

 

Ray

Edited 18 May , 2020 by RaySearching
spelling

[malcway]

Gentlemen - A HUGE apology to all who have responded to my original post!  For some reason I haven't been getting any notifications of your replies, and being busy doing some WW2 research on another relative have taken my eye off this topic for the past two weeks.  I am most grateful to you all, and you must think me an absolute !!!!!!!!! for not having the common courtesy to acknowledge your input.  I will now read all of your replies and respond to you individually.  Thank you all.

[malcway]

On 16/05/2020 at 19:43, ss002d6252 said:

Have you looked at this diary ?
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352243

Craig

Thank you, Craig -

Thanks to you I have the Diary number, and  using this was able to locate it on my 'War Diaries of the Battalions...' DVD.  Have now downloaded it and will read it as soon as I get chance.  I really appreciate your interest.  Malcolm

[malcway]

On 17/05/2020 at 10:40, sadbrewer said:

 A report from the newspapers you may find interesting...published on the 10th May, 1915.

Courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much for these contemporary accounts - very interesting!

Malcolm

 

[malcway]

On 17/05/2020 at 10:31, RaySearching said:

 

 

 

 

Served as John Fitzpatrick  3/10765  

Born and enlisted Halifax

 

On 17/05/2020 at 11:29, Vlaamse Verhalen said:

 

I've not (yet) seen Edward being used anywhere, as his middle name......but his first-born son was James Edward Fitzpatrick (Halifax, 30th Sep. 1910)

 

His wife was formerly Mary McHale (born County Mayo, Ireland c.1880/1, married 1908) & the family name is actually written on the 1911 Census form as Fitz Patrick....which is possibly why it's not being picked up in the FMP search. Intriguingly, although the births of his two sons (Willie born in 1913, also in Halifax) show up on FreeBMD, they don't do so using the GRO, which suggests an error of entry on there too.

 

Gentlemen - my thanks to you both for your input.  The 'John Edward' came from an extended relatives Tree, but I have since made contact with James Edward Fitzpatrick's Grandson, and in the absence of any original source document supporting Edward as a middle name I am now more inclined to believe that our man is simply John Fitzpatrick, and I will amend my Tree to reflect this.  I can confirm that both James Edward Fitzpatrick and Willie Fitzpatrick were born in Halifax, and that John was married to Mary Ann McHale, born in Foxford, Co. Mayo, in 1880. Thanks again,

Malcolm

[DaveC]

Hi Malcolm

  Here are two Extracts from the Halifax Guardian dated 26-06-1915 page 11 and the died for their country section.  Kindest Regards DaveC (Stay Safe)

 

 

[malcway]

3 minutes ago, DaveC said:

Hi Malcolm

  Here are two Extracts from the Halifax Guardian dated 26-06-1915 page 11 and the died for their country section.  Kindest Regards DaveC (Stay Safe)

 

 

 

Another cracking piece of information to add to my research, DaveC!  I'm really grateful for this - can I ask how you came by it?  Did you trawl through the entire microfilm/fiche archive extracting items that were of a particular interest because of family or area connections? Regardless, many thanks and very best wishes,

Malcolm

[malcway]

On 17/05/2020 at 12:10, clk said:

Hi Malcolm,

 

On Ancestry, for April 1915, the Battalion war diary starts here, and the Brigade HQ diary here. Craig in post #2 linked the Battalion war diary at the National Archives where it is currently free to download if you register an account. The Brigade diary is here.

 

Service papers show that the following men originally attested to the 3rd Battalion, as shown:

 

3/10760 Hickman - 15.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10762 Russell - 15.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10763 Russell - 17.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10765

3/10776 Dunne - 17.8.1914 at Halifax

3/10779 Taylor - 13.8.1914 at London

3/10784 Guess - 18.8.1914 at Halifax

 

Regards

Chris

Hi and thank you, Chris.  Thanks to you and the other kind members who also responded, I now have access to the relevant  Bn. and Bde. Diaries. SDGW also states he enlisted at Halifax, so think it's a fair bet that John was also originally a 3rd Bn. recruit.  Am very grateful for your input - wouldn't have thought to have looked for 3rd Bn. Service papers! 

Malcolm

[malcway]

On 17/05/2020 at 22:29, ilkley remembers said:

There is a report in a newspaper relating to a court appearance which states that he formally served in both the navy and the army

 

Thank you for this - it really is quite intriguing!  Is there any chance of seeing the report about the court proceedings, please? Quite happy to PM you my e-mail details if so.  Thanks again - Malcolm