Pte
John Monks
Information about birth
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Place of birth: Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 203477 |
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Enlistment place: Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 1/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 03/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Frezenberg, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXXIII Row: A Grave: 16 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
John Monks bore the same name as his father. He was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. He enlisted in the British Army and served in the 1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (125th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division).
John was killed on 6 September 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. At that time, the battalion was in the reserve lines near Borry Farm, west of Zonnebeke. Two companies arrived around midnight in the assembly trench, awaiting the start of the attack. At 7:15 a.m., heavy shelling began on Borry Farm, after which the two companies attacked the position. At the same time, Beck House, Iberian, and Hill 35 were attacked by neighbouring troops. Throughout the day, short skirmishes took place, and there was machine-gun fire, including from Vampir. The advance stalled after 150 yards, followed by heavy counterattacks at 10:45 a.m., 7:30 p.m., and 11:10 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., the left flank of the 1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers had to withdraw to its original line. The right flank was able to hold and consolidated their positions, which were located between Frost House and Vampir.
After the war, John’s body was found near Frezenberg. He was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
John was killed on 6 September 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. At that time, the battalion was in the reserve lines near Borry Farm, west of Zonnebeke. Two companies arrived around midnight in the assembly trench, awaiting the start of the attack. At 7:15 a.m., heavy shelling began on Borry Farm, after which the two companies attacked the position. At the same time, Beck House, Iberian, and Hill 35 were attacked by neighbouring troops. Throughout the day, short skirmishes took place, and there was machine-gun fire, including from Vampir. The advance stalled after 150 yards, followed by heavy counterattacks at 10:45 a.m., 7:30 p.m., and 11:10 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., the left flank of the 1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers had to withdraw to its original line. The right flank was able to hold and consolidated their positions, which were located between Frost House and Vampir.
After the war, John’s body was found near Frezenberg. He was reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 2
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1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers war dairy (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95 95/2654/2). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), p.72-73. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463989 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=db9e5317-0b46-46d1-b2a6-ee651a97f0a5 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3090869 |