Lieutenant John Christopher Hebblethwaite

[Tony Lund]

CWGC.

This is more than a bit of a long shot, but I have a John E Hebblethwaite named on the Holmfirth Memorial, and I think he may well be John Christopher Hebblethwaite, Lieutenant, 43rd Battery, Royal Artillery, killed in action 22nd June 1916. Sometimes the connection between Holmfirth and a man named on the memorial can be a bit thin, I am hoping artillery officers are recorded separately somewhere and some more information on this man exists. That is assuming I am indeed looking at the right man in the first place. Any information gratefully recieved.

Tony.

[Terry_Reeves]

Tony

There is a file for a Lt JC Hebblethwaite at the NA in WO339/18172. It covers the years 1914-1916.

Terry Reeves

[Tony Lund]

Thank you, I think this will prove to be the right man. My only dealings so far with the National Archives has been a couple of mic’s and a couple of Service Records by post. Do you know if I should go about applying for a copy of this file in the same way as the Service Records?

Tony.

[Terry_Reeves]

Tony

You should be able to get the file copied as with other documents, but it is likely to be expensive depending on the size of the file. The majority of the information will be about the disposal of his effects, although there may be some service details such as date of commissioning, education, name and address of next-of-kin ect. Visit the NA website as there are a number of ways of getting the file, ie photocopy, cd, or a direct download to you.

Terry Reeves

[Tony Lund]

Thanks I will have a go and see what happens,

Tony.

[rflory]

Here is what I can tell you Lieutenant John Christopher Hebblethwaite, RFA

Born at Leeds on 31 May 96, the second son of Rhodes and Louie Hebblethwaite of Highthorne, Husthwaite, Yorkshire. He was educated at Southcliffe, School, Filey and at Nash House, Burnham, before enterning Oundle School in May 1911.

Left school in July 1914 and enlisted in the Yorkshire Hussars but was shortly afterwards offered a commisson in the RFA which he accepted in October 1914.

Went to France in Sept 1915 and attached to the 6th Division. Took part in the Ypres operations.

Promoted to Lieutenant, RFA in March 1916.

On 22 Jun 16 he was killed by a chance shell which also mortally wounded another officer.

My UK geography is not sufficient for me to tell if any of that is of assistance. I have attached a photo of Lieut. Hebblethwaite.

Source: Oundle Memorials of the Great War.

[Tony Lund]

Thank you, the plot thickens, I have never heard of any of those places, (except Filey), it does not sound too promising now. Unless his father turns out to own one of the local mills and be a main subscriber to the memorial fund. Even then, to be included, I would expect him to at least work for some of the time in Holmfirth, even if he lived miles away.

For example:

Second Lieutenant George Richard Gledhill worked for his father at Walter Gledhill and Sons Ltd. at Bridge Mills, Holmfirth. He lived on the other side of Huddersfield from Holmfirth, about eight miles away. He was educated at Petrograd, Russia, St Gallen, Switzerland, and at Huddersfield and Pontefract. He enlisted in the ranks at the start of the war with his older brother Leslie D. Gledhill, both were promoted to Second Lieutenant five months later. They were by no means the only ones from mill owning families to enlist as privates in 1914.

Clearly it was not necessary to actually live in Holmfirth to be included on the memorial but there must be some connection, however tenuous it may be.

Tony.

[Chris Noble]

Here you go Tony, quite a distance from Holmfirth!

http://www.btinternet.com/~caractacus.bear/village/

Regards, Chris.

[Tony Lund]

Thanks, North Yorkshire eh? I now think I should put him with the mystery-men and come back to him when I have finished the main job.

Tony.

[linge]

Tony

Don’t know if this helps but John Christopher Hebblethwaite’s brother also died during the Great War. He was called Abraham Rhodes Hebblethwaite.

There was a Hebblethwaite family in Wooldale at the time of the 1901 Census I think this is near to Holmfirth. The family was that of Wilson and Emma Hebblethwaite their son Henry died on 25th November 1917. They also had a son John Edward Hebblethwaite who was born in 1898. Could he be your man maybe he died after being discharged therefore falls under the CWGC net.

Regards

Pam

[Tony Lund]

Thank you Pam, you may well have found the right man, Wooldale is part of Holmfirth. The Holmfirth and New Mill War Memorial is divided into sections, and John E. Hebblethwaite is named on the Wooldale section.

Other than the name on the memorial your reference is the only one to a Holmfirth J. E. Hebblethwaite to surface so far, which is why I was looking at John C.

I have found a reference to a Johnny Hebblethwaite leaving a troopship at Malta. I also have the text of a censored letter reported to have been written by a Private J. H. Hebblethwaite, this letter sounds like it was written in Malta to me, although there is no proof because every single place name has been struck out. This Private J. H. Hebblethwaite was a pre-war Methodist Sunday School Teacher, one of several Holmfirth Sunday School Teachers to enlist in 1914, he is on a list of Wooldale volunteers in 1915. Incidently I have a record of a nineteen year old Sunday School teacher killed in 1915, so a young age was no barrier.

I have good details for Henry, the son of Wilson and Emma Hebblethwaite, of Wooldale, he got married and moved a couple of miles down the road, which puts him on a different section of the memorial to John E.

Thanks again,

Tony.