Geburtsjahr: 1880

Geburtsort: New Herrington, Durham, England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Beruf: Gemüsehändler

Land: England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Truppe: British Expeditionary Force

Rang: Private

Dienstnummer: 35768

Einberufung datum: 09/06/1916

Einberufung ort: Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, Vereinigtes Königreich

Einheiten:  —  Durham Light Infantry, 22nd Bn. (3rd County Pioneers)  (Letzte bekannte Einheit)

Sterbedatum: 16/08/1917

Sterbeort: Sans Souci, Zonnebeke, Belgien

Todesursache: Im Kampf gefallen

Alter: 37

British War Medal Medaille — 06/05/1920

Victory Medal Medaille — 06/05/1920

Private John Robert White of the 22nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry (3rd County Pioneers), of the 8th Division, contributed towards Allied efforts in the Battle of Langemarck, a stage in the Third Battle of Ypres. Pioneer battalions had a different role to infantry battalions, they were used for logistical labour and construction work i.e. repairing and building tracks or bridges to enable the infantry, as far as possible, to fulfil their objectives.

White was from Fence House, Durham, England and the census’s indicate that he married his wife Elizabeth at some point between 1901 and 1911. According to his Service Record he had been a Greengrocer by occupation and had a daughter, also named Elizabeth, who was 7 and attending school.

From 13th August the 22nd Battalion D.L.I. were camped at Belgian Chateau. In preparation for the next offensive, the Battle of Langemarck, scheduled for 16th August 1917, forty men of “A” Company and forty men of “B” Company, 22nd Bn. D.L.I. were attached to the 23rd and 25th Infantry Brigades of the 8th Division, as carrying parties. On 15 August these men were ordered to carry with them portable bridges which they were to position during the attack to enable the advancing infantry to cross the Hannebeek stream, which at this point was wide and surrounded by marshy bog. Within the boundaries of 8th Division for this attack three bridges were established, one in Hannbeek Wood, one at Sans Souci and one closer to the Ypres-Roulers railway line. Zero hour for the attack on 16 August was 4:45 a.m. and those allocated men from 22nd Bn. D.L.I. are recorded as having laid the bridges successfully, allowing the infantry brigades to advance without delay. The carrying parties then returned to their Battalion H.Q. and began assisting the wounded and escorting prisoners as ordered. Meanwhile the remainder of 22nd Bn. D.L.I. were working, laying double duckboard tracks to run between Etang De Bellewarde and Sexton House.

The casualties for those eighty men of the 22nd Battalion D.L.I who were attached to the 23rd and 25th brigades in the morning of 16 August 1917 are recorded as; 1 Other Rank Killed, 15 Wounded. Private White died on 16 August 1917. It is highly likely that he is that one individual recorded as Killed and that this occurred whilst he was positioning one of the bridges in the Sans Souci Valley. Interestingly his name tag was recently discovered near Vlamertinghe. It is possible that White lost his tag when being encamped near Vlamertinghe. Private White is commemorated on Panel 131 of the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing, meaning his remains were either never found or could not be positively identified prior to official burial.

22 Battalion Durham Light Infantry (Pioneers), (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/1702/1). http://www.nmarchive.com/ Weitere Quellen

Boraston J.H. and Cyril E.O., The Eight Division 1914-1918, (Uckfield, The Naval & Military Press, 1926), pg. 144-145. Verwendete Quellen

McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pg. 50-53. Verwendete Quellen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/876806

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=d8fb65c9-1c60-4405-948f-036245c7f097

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5132997