Biography of Corporal John Thomas Taylor (11889)
8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Died 9th April 1917

Soldier

  • Name: John Thomas A Taylor
  • Date of birth: 1896
  • Place of Birth: Rippingale, Lincolnshire, England
  • Date of Birth Registration: January – March 1896
  • Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England

Father

  • Name: John Edward Taylor
  • DOB: 1860
  • Place of Birth: Rippingale, Lincolnshire, England
  • Occupation: General labourer on farm

Mother

  • Name: Sarah A Barber
  • DOB: 1859
  • Place Of Birth: Rippingale, Lincolnshire, England
  • Marriage: 19th May 1891 Rippingale, Lincolnshire, England

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

  • John Thomas A taylor, 1896, Rippingale

Census

  • 1901: John is living with his parent at Morton North Fen, Morton, Lincolnshire.
  • 1911: John is living with the Levesley family at Scottlethorpe Lodge, Bourne, Lincolnshire. The census gives him an age of 16 and he is listed as a waggoner on farm.
Relatives in services

  • None found

Marriage

  • No marriage for John has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

  • Grimsby Daily Telegraph Thursday 17th May 1917
    WOUNDED
    LINCOLNS
    Taylor, 11889, Lce. Corpl. J. T. (Bourne)

  • Grantham Journal Saturday 2nd March 1918
    Lance-Corpl J T TAYLOR, Scottlethorpe
    The parents of Lance-Corpl John Thomas Taylor of the Lincolnshire Regiment, who live in the hamlet of Scottlethorpe, belonging to the village of Edenham, a few days ago received the official notice that he has been missing since April 1917 and is now believed to be dead, as nothing further has been heard of him since then. He was their only child. On the outbreak of the war in 1914, he with others from this village joined the Lincolnshire Regiment as privates at once. They all went to the front in September 1915 and fought at Loos. Since then Taylor had been made Lance-Corporal and joined the Machine Gun Section. All in the parish sympathise with the parents.

Military Records

Attestation Papers

  • None found

Soldier’s Died In The Great War

  • These records show that L Corporal John Thomas Taylor, 11889, 8th Bn Lincolnshire Regiment was killed in action on 9th April 1917 in the Western European Theatre in France and Flanders.

Pension Records

  • None found

Effects Left To

  • Father John E

Medals

  • The British Medal
  • The Victory Medal
  • The 15 Star

Memorials

  • UK:
  • Edenham, Roll of Honour in St Michael and All Angels Church

 

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
  • In memory of Lance Corporal John Thomas Taylor, 11889, 8th Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 9 April 1917 Age 21
  • Son of John Taylor, of Scottlethorpe, Bourne, Lincolnshire
  • Remembered with honour, Arras Memorial
  • Bay 3 and 4.

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

© Picture taken by South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Military Service Timeline

  • Today we remember Edenham man, John Thomas Taylor who died on this day 9th April in 1917 whilst serving as a Lance Corporal with the 8th battalion Lincolnshire Regiment,
     
    John was born was born in Rippingale early in 1896, the son of Rippingale farm worker John Edward Taylor and his wife Sarah Ann Barber also of Rippingale. The couple were married in Rippingale on 19th May 1891 but soon moved into North Fen Morton where they can be found on the 1891 census.
    John was there only child and by 1911 the couple were living in Scottlethorpe, Edenham, although John was not living in the family home. John was living with the Levesley family in Scottlethorpe and was working as a waggoner on a farm.
     
    When the war broke out John was one of the many villagers to join up and after enlisting in Bourne most likely in October 1814, he was posted to the 8th Battalion Lincolnshire regiment being given the regimental number of 11889. The full service record for john, like 60% of all WW1 records were most likely destroyed in a London warehouse fire in the Blitz. The following information has been pieced together from other surviving records and so exact details and dates are largely unknown.
     
    The Battalion trained at Grimsby during August 1914, and then at Halton Park in November. The Battalion moved into billets at Leighton Buzzard for the winter of 1914.
    In the spring of 1915 the Battalion moved to Halton Park Camp, Wendover and miniature rifle practice commenced. After completing the musketry course and a Review by Lord Kitchener, the Battalion moved to Witley Camp North, marching past His Majesty the King and Lord Kitchener, 12 August 1915.
     
    All the Battalion commanders had been in retirement at the outbreak of war. Of the 21st Division in which the 8th Lincolnshire were attached only 14 officers had any previous experience in the Regular army.
     
    The Battalion entrained for overseas service at Milford Station on 9 September 1915 leaving England the next day, sailing via Folkestone to Boulogne. For a week the Battalion stayed in the Watten area before receiving orders to move to the front.
    A long and really arduous march took place which led the Battalion to the front and their first engagement of the war, The Battle of Loos. During this battle an immediate gain was overturned and the highly inexperienced Battalion suffered tremendous losses. In their first battle the 8th Battalion lost 22 of their 24 officers. 471 other ranks were killed, wounded or missing that being nearly half of all men in the Battalion.
     
    The next major offensive for the Battalion was during the battle of the Somme in July 1916. The Battalion saw action in Albert, Bazentin Ridge, Fleurs-Courcelette, Morval, Gaudecourt, Transloy Ridge and eventually in November the Battle of The Ancre.
     
    During the spring of 1917 the German Army retreated to the heavily fortified defensive Hindenburg Line. When the retreat started the 21st Division were at Halloy spending a period out of the line in training exercises.
    On the first of April the Battalion attended a voluntary Church Parade at Neuville Au Cornet before the following day being route marched to Denier for an attack on a trench system. Over the next days the Battalion moved to Avesnes-le-Conte, Givenchy-le-Noble, Lattre St Quentin before arriving at Duisans to withdraw equipment ready for their move onto the assembly area at Arras.
     
    The Battalion entered the Battle of Arras at Battery Valley on the 9th April 1917 at 4pm digging in until 8pm.
    The Battalion moved east and halted around midnight. At daybreak considerable enemy activity was observed round Monchy-le-Preux, also enemy troops and transport moving north east from Roeux. Artillery was asked for in both cases but there was no response.
    At 9am the Battalion prepared to advance to its original objective as soon as the 111th brigade advanced on Monchy.
    At 10:30 am Major Greatwood was informed that the 8th Somerset Light Infantry were in Monchy and that he must support them. They advanced to the valley but in this advance they suffered heavy casualties as they had no artillery support.
    At 4pm Major Greatwood issued orders to attack Monchy with the 8th Somerset on the right, Lincolns on the left. Again with no artillery support they had to dig in on high ground receiving orders to attack at dusk.
    When they had already opened out for the attack, orders arrived from Brigade cancelling the attack and consolidate the position and patrols were posted in front.
    By the end of the 10th April 1917 the Battalion had 9 officers wounded, 30 other ranks killed, 187 other ranks wounded and 8 missing.
    John Taylor was a casualty of this action
     
    Grantham Journal Saturday 2 March 1918
    Lance-Corpl J T TAYLOR, Scottlethorpe
    The parents of Lance-Corpl John Thomas Taylor of the Lincolnshire Regiment, who live in the hamlet of Scottlethorpe, belonging to the village of Edenham, a few days ago received the official notice that he has been missing since April 1917 and is now believed to be dead, as nothing further has been heard of him since then. He was their only child. On the outbreak of the war in 1914, he with others from this village joined the Lincolnshire Regiment as privates at once. They all went to the front in September 1915 and fought at Loos. Since then Taylor had been made Lance-Corporal and joined the Machine Gun Section. All in the parish sympathise with the parents.
     
    In memory of Lance Corporal John Thomas Taylor, 11889, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 9 April 1917 Age 21. Son of John Taylor of Scottlethorpe, Bourne, Lincs. Remembered with honour, Arras Memorial.
     
    We will remember them
     
    https://southlincolnshirewarmemorials.org.uk/our-villages/edenham/john-thomas-taylor/

Sources

  • WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
  • British Newspaper Archive.
  • Fold 3
  • Find My Past
  • Genealogist
  • Forces War Records
  • British Army Service Numbers
  • War Gratuity Calculator
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
  • General Registry Office