| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John Edward Woodthorpe was born in Beverley, the son of John Edward Woodthorpe and Isabella, the family lived in St Andrew Street, Beverley. Before his marriage to Isabella John had been a regular soldier. John Edward was born in 1890. In 1911 aged 20, he was living with his parents in St Andrew Street, and working as a tanyard labourer.
He enlisted in the East Yorkshire Regiment, his Medal Card shows he embarked for France on 25 Sep 1914. Two letters written by John were published in the Beverley Guardian. The first dated 23 Nov 1914, written from hospital at Leicester, serving with the 3rd Battalion he wrote, "… in one of the most cruel wars of modern times……. we have never really been out of the firing line." Describing life in the trenches between Armentieres and Lille, he wrote, "We had been in them ten nights and days without a wash ….".He was then taken ill and hospitalised. On his return to the Front he was serving with the 2nd Battalion and, again from hospital, this time No. 6 General Hospital in France, on 6 Sep 1915, he wrote that he had been shot through his left arm by "one of Kaiser Bill's crack snipers".
John was later transferred to the 1st Battalion which took part in the Battle of Morval between 23 and 28 Sep 1916. John Edward was killed in action on 25 Sep 1916, exactly two years after first embarking for France, and he is remembered with Honour on the Thiepval Memorial and on Beverley War Memorial.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |