Pte
John William Fury
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1885 |
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Place of birth: Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 88 Farm House Lane, Pogmoor, Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, England, United Kingdom |
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Profession: Coal miner |
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: 240715 |
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Enlistment place: Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — York & Lancaster Regiment, 1/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 09/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Marsh Bottom, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 32 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 126 A |
Distinctions and medals 3
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
John William Fury was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Fury. He was born around 1885 in Barnsley, Yorkshire, UK. He worked as a miner. He enlisted in the British Army and joined the 1/5th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment (148th Brigade, 49th Division). He arrived on the French battlefields in August 1915.
John went missing on 9 October 1917 during the Battle of Poelcapelle, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 49th division's start lines that day ran from Kronprinz Farm, via Peter Pan and Fleet Cottage, to beyond Berlin Wood. At about 2.40am, troops arrived at the assembly point just west of the Ravebeek. The 1/4th Battalion and 1/5th Battalion York & Lancester Regiment had to pass Marsh Bottom to take the line between Wolf Farm to the Laamkeek. The 1/5th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (K.O.Y.L.I) then had to push on to the second objective which was the line between Woodland Plantation and Duck Lodge near the hamlet of Meetcheele.
The march to the assembly point and start lines was difficult due to the wet and muddy ground. The 1/5th Battalion K.O.Y.L.I arrived late and took no part in the attack, which started at 5.20am. When crossing the Ravebeek, the 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment briefly lost the barrage, but was then able to rejoin. On the slope of the Ravebeek towards Meetcheele, the battalion faced German artillery fire and was shelled from Wolf Copse and Snipe Hall. They reached their objective, but due to the absence of the 1/5th Battalion K.O.Y.L.I., they were held up by pillboxes on the slope. They consolidated the captured ground, but the many snipers made daytime movement difficult. An attempt to take the pillboxes on the slope failed and it was decided not to start a second attempt. The battalion was able to hold its position and was relieved by the New Zealand Division on the night of 10-11 October.
During the Battle of Poelkapelle (9 and 10 October), losses for 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster were high: 64 killed, 250 wounded and 54 missing. Nearly 33-year-old John William Fury was 1 of those missing. His body was not found or identified. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial (panel 126 A).
John went missing on 9 October 1917 during the Battle of Poelcapelle, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 49th division's start lines that day ran from Kronprinz Farm, via Peter Pan and Fleet Cottage, to beyond Berlin Wood. At about 2.40am, troops arrived at the assembly point just west of the Ravebeek. The 1/4th Battalion and 1/5th Battalion York & Lancester Regiment had to pass Marsh Bottom to take the line between Wolf Farm to the Laamkeek. The 1/5th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (K.O.Y.L.I) then had to push on to the second objective which was the line between Woodland Plantation and Duck Lodge near the hamlet of Meetcheele.
The march to the assembly point and start lines was difficult due to the wet and muddy ground. The 1/5th Battalion K.O.Y.L.I arrived late and took no part in the attack, which started at 5.20am. When crossing the Ravebeek, the 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment briefly lost the barrage, but was then able to rejoin. On the slope of the Ravebeek towards Meetcheele, the battalion faced German artillery fire and was shelled from Wolf Copse and Snipe Hall. They reached their objective, but due to the absence of the 1/5th Battalion K.O.Y.L.I., they were held up by pillboxes on the slope. They consolidated the captured ground, but the many snipers made daytime movement difficult. An attempt to take the pillboxes on the slope failed and it was decided not to start a second attempt. The battalion was able to hold its position and was relieved by the New Zealand Division on the night of 10-11 October.
During the Battle of Poelkapelle (9 and 10 October), losses for 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster were high: 64 killed, 250 wounded and 54 missing. Nearly 33-year-old John William Fury was 1 of those missing. His body was not found or identified. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial (panel 126 A).
Sources 8
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1/5 York & Lancaster Regiment, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2805/2). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 372). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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British Army World War I Service Medal and Awards Rolls, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 329). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG12). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG13). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: the Day-by-Day Account. (Londen: Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018), 122-123. Sources used |
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Soldier' Effects Records (National Army Museum, Chelsea (NAM) 1901-60; NAM Accession Number: 1991-02-333). https://www.nam.ac.uk/ 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/839433 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1278715 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=7551fc2c-3c6b-4ba0-8fe3-9d9b82b5cf9b |