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John Dodd Vause
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 06/01/1898 |
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Place of birth: Hexham, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 6 Railway Cottages, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Railway plate layer |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 32544 |
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Enlistment date: 22/05/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 15th Bn. (1st Salford) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Cause of death: Death post-war (unrelated) |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of wounding |
My story
John Dodd Vause was born in January 1898 in Hexham, Northumberland. Before he enlisted in May 1916 in Newcastle upon Tyne, he worked as a laborer in a paper mill. In February 1917, he arrived at the front in France, where he was assigned to the 15th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.
In the lead-up to the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, the 15th Battalion was sent to Flanders. During the battle, the battalion was stationed at Koksijde on the Belgian coast, a part of the front that was not directly involved in the offensive, but was by no means safe. In late November 1917, John’s battalion was moved to the front line at Passchendaele. Although official British history considers the battle to have ended on November 10, 1917, the fighting on the ground continued. The heights near Westrozebeke, to the north of Passchendaele, remained firmly in German hands.
In December 1917, a decision was made to launch a surprise attack on Westrozebeke at night. To avoid warning the Germans, no preparatory artillery bombardment took place. However, the attack was barely a surprise to the Germans. The rustling of movements had alerted their sentries, and the clear full moon worked against the British. As the troops neared the heights, flare lights shot up into the sky, illuminating the battlefield with bright white light, followed by a rain of bullets from the Germans. Without protective artillery fire, and in the full moonlight, the British were easy targets, and around 550 men were killed. The 15th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers took part in this attack and remained active in the sector afterward.
In February 1918, the battalion manned trenches in the Houthulst Forest, which by then barely resembled a forest due to heavy shelling. The Germans had reinforced the area with bunkers and shelters. On February 17, John was wounded by a gunshot to his forearm. According to the war diary, the battalion carried out a raid on Renard Farm in the Houthulst Forest that night, capturing 14 German soldiers. Two officers and eight men were wounded in the action.
In March 1918, John was transferred to the 4th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. He survived the war and married Dora Thompson in 1924. Together, they had two sons, John and Jeffrey. John worked as a railway ganger and lived with his family in the Railway Cottages near what is now Ouseburn Valley in Byker. In 1953, John Dodd Vause died of a stroke.
In the lead-up to the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, the 15th Battalion was sent to Flanders. During the battle, the battalion was stationed at Koksijde on the Belgian coast, a part of the front that was not directly involved in the offensive, but was by no means safe. In late November 1917, John’s battalion was moved to the front line at Passchendaele. Although official British history considers the battle to have ended on November 10, 1917, the fighting on the ground continued. The heights near Westrozebeke, to the north of Passchendaele, remained firmly in German hands.
In December 1917, a decision was made to launch a surprise attack on Westrozebeke at night. To avoid warning the Germans, no preparatory artillery bombardment took place. However, the attack was barely a surprise to the Germans. The rustling of movements had alerted their sentries, and the clear full moon worked against the British. As the troops neared the heights, flare lights shot up into the sky, illuminating the battlefield with bright white light, followed by a rain of bullets from the Germans. Without protective artillery fire, and in the full moonlight, the British were easy targets, and around 550 men were killed. The 15th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers took part in this attack and remained active in the sector afterward.
In February 1918, the battalion manned trenches in the Houthulst Forest, which by then barely resembled a forest due to heavy shelling. The Germans had reinforced the area with bunkers and shelters. On February 17, John was wounded by a gunshot to his forearm. According to the war diary, the battalion carried out a raid on Renard Farm in the Houthulst Forest that night, capturing 14 German soldiers. Two officers and eight men were wounded in the action.
In March 1918, John was transferred to the 4th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. He survived the war and married Dora Thompson in 1924. Together, they had two sons, John and Jeffrey. John worked as a railway ganger and lived with his family in the Railway Cottages near what is now Ouseburn Valley in Byker. In 1953, John Dodd Vause died of a stroke.
Sources 3
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15 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2397/3). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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1939 England and Wales Register (The National Archives, Kew (TNA) RG 101/2914H). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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War Office: Soldiers' Documents (The National Archives, Kew (TNA) WO363). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |