L/Cpl
John William Spencer
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1896 |
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Place of birth: Burnley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lance Corporal |
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Service number: 242014 |
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Enlistment place: Burnley, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 1/6th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 06/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Beck House, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: VII Row: D Grave: 23 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
John William Spencer was the son of Jane Ellen and John Spencer. He was born around 1896 in Burnley, Lancashire. John enlisted in the British Army and belonged to the 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment (125th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division).
John fell on 6 September 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele. The 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers attacked positions near Beck House and Iberian that day. One company managed to take Beck House, while two other companies attacked Iberian Farm and came under machine-gun fire from the southern slopes of Hill 35. During a German counterattack, the newly taken position of Beck House was again lost and the battalion suffered heavy losses. In addition, the left flank was also exposed to shelling from Hill 35. The 1/6th Battalion had to retreat back to their original positions.
John died at the age of 20. After the war, his body was found near Beck House. He was reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
John fell on 6 September 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele. The 1/6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers attacked positions near Beck House and Iberian that day. One company managed to take Beck House, while two other companies attacked Iberian Farm and came under machine-gun fire from the southern slopes of Hill 35. During a German counterattack, the newly taken position of Beck House was again lost and the battalion suffered heavy losses. In addition, the left flank was also exposed to shelling from Hill 35. The 1/6th Battalion had to retreat back to their original positions.
John died at the age of 20. After the war, his body was found near Beck House. He was reburied in Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 1
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1/6 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2654/3). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 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/464717 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=b7c64242-ddad-4089-a304-ae0262916b06 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4205015 |