Pte
Job Callaway
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1898 |
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Place of birth: Moxley, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: High School Student |
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: 98751 |
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Enlistment place: Walsall, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Machine Gun Corps, 237th Coy. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 19 |
Cemetery
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Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood Plot: XXIV Row: C Grave: 14 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 09/07/1920 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 09/07/1920 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private Job Callaway served in the Machine Gun Corps 237th Company, part of the Divisional Troops of the 21st Division.
On the 4th of October 1917 the 21st Divison participated in the Battle of Broodseinde, a phase of the Third Battle of Ypres. The 21st Division’s jumping off line was located near the eastern border of Polygon Wood. The attack was planned as followed : the first objective was to be taken by the 3/4th Bn. The Queens ( Royal West Surrey Regiment ). Once it was captured, the 12/13th Northumberland Fusiliers (on the right) and the 10th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment (on the left) were to advance to the second objective. The 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment would be in support. But the day itself there was a change of plans. While the 10th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment was on its way to the assembly point, it was caught in two heavy German barrages; in Glencorse Wood and at Black Watch Corner. The Battalion became disorganized, suffered heavy casualties and did not succeed to arrive on time at the assembly point. Therefore the 1st Lincolnshire got the position which was to be occupied by the 10th Yorkshire, which became the support Battalion.
The attack started at 6 a.m. with an opening barrage and the leading battalions advanced in mass. Soon after the barrage they encountered multiple obstacles; the first being the Polygonebeek stream itself, that was transformed into a marsh, due to the heavy German barrages. This in combination with tangled wires, that lay everywhere, made the Polygonebeek almost impassable. Second, the leading battalions got surprised by some well-hidden German concrete emplacements at the eastbank of the Polygonebeek. Yet the 3/4th The Queens succeeded in capturing those concrete shelters and at 7.45 a.m. they consolidated the First Objective. The 1st Lincolnshire and the 12/13th Northumberland Fusiliers reorganised and assumed the attack on the Second Objective. Soon after they started the attack they came under heavy German fire from Polderhoek Chateau and Cameron Covent in the south and Judge Copse in the north, what caused many casualties in the British ranks. Despite this, the 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment reached the Second and Final objective at 11.30 a.m. As the battalion suffered many casualties, consolidation didn’t go very smoothly because the line wasn’t continuous and thinly held. The Germans did plan some counterattacks, but these were very weak and were soon stopped by the British troops.
The Machine Gun Corps 237th Company supported the attack of the 21st Division. They probably remained at the jump-off line to give covering fire for the advancing Battalions. Private Job Callaway was killed in action on the 4th of October 1917. He was initialy buried in Polygon Wood near the 21st Division’s jump-off line. The location of his initial grave may suggest that he fell, due to German shell fire on the jump-off line. His remains were exhumed after the war and interred at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood.
On the 4th of October 1917 the 21st Divison participated in the Battle of Broodseinde, a phase of the Third Battle of Ypres. The 21st Division’s jumping off line was located near the eastern border of Polygon Wood. The attack was planned as followed : the first objective was to be taken by the 3/4th Bn. The Queens ( Royal West Surrey Regiment ). Once it was captured, the 12/13th Northumberland Fusiliers (on the right) and the 10th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment (on the left) were to advance to the second objective. The 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment would be in support. But the day itself there was a change of plans. While the 10th Bn. Yorkshire Regiment was on its way to the assembly point, it was caught in two heavy German barrages; in Glencorse Wood and at Black Watch Corner. The Battalion became disorganized, suffered heavy casualties and did not succeed to arrive on time at the assembly point. Therefore the 1st Lincolnshire got the position which was to be occupied by the 10th Yorkshire, which became the support Battalion.
The attack started at 6 a.m. with an opening barrage and the leading battalions advanced in mass. Soon after the barrage they encountered multiple obstacles; the first being the Polygonebeek stream itself, that was transformed into a marsh, due to the heavy German barrages. This in combination with tangled wires, that lay everywhere, made the Polygonebeek almost impassable. Second, the leading battalions got surprised by some well-hidden German concrete emplacements at the eastbank of the Polygonebeek. Yet the 3/4th The Queens succeeded in capturing those concrete shelters and at 7.45 a.m. they consolidated the First Objective. The 1st Lincolnshire and the 12/13th Northumberland Fusiliers reorganised and assumed the attack on the Second Objective. Soon after they started the attack they came under heavy German fire from Polderhoek Chateau and Cameron Covent in the south and Judge Copse in the north, what caused many casualties in the British ranks. Despite this, the 1st Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment reached the Second and Final objective at 11.30 a.m. As the battalion suffered many casualties, consolidation didn’t go very smoothly because the line wasn’t continuous and thinly held. The Germans did plan some counterattacks, but these were very weak and were soon stopped by the British troops.
The Machine Gun Corps 237th Company supported the attack of the 21st Division. They probably remained at the jump-off line to give covering fire for the advancing Battalions. Private Job Callaway was killed in action on the 4th of October 1917. He was initialy buried in Polygon Wood near the 21st Division’s jump-off line. The location of his initial grave may suggest that he fell, due to German shell fire on the jump-off line. His remains were exhumed after the war and interred at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood.
Sources 2
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237 Machine Gun Company, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2145/3). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
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McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pg. 108-111. 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/480144 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=174e43d2-20d1-44c7-9e4b-b8141fcad312 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5432799 |