| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John Gage Seymour Wardell was born the 28 Jun 1895 at Beswick the son of James Wardell, a tanner’s labourer, and Hannah Mary (nee Railton). In 1901 the family was living at 5 George Street, Beverley they later moved to 45 Mill Lane. In 1911, John was living with his grandparents, Hosdale and Margaret Railton, at The Farm, Hull Bridge Road, Beverley, where his grandfather was employed as a farm bailiff. Aged 15 John was working as a clerk in a solicitor's office.
John enlisted in the Light Infantry, in the 21st Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps on 29 Oct 1915 and was promoted to Corporal shortly afterwards. The 21st Battalion, landed in France in May 1916 and saw action during the Battles of the Somme 1916; the Battle of Messines 1917 and 3rd Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. Moving to Italy in Nov 1917, the Battalion served on the River Piave front for two months, returning to France in Mar 1918. They were located west of Albert on 21 Mar at the beginning of the German Spring Offensive and sometime during the fighting John Wardell was wounded. The Beverley Guardian of 13 Apr 1918 reported Corporal John G S Wardell had been wounded in the thigh and left arm and was in hospital in Birmingham. As a consequence of his wounds he was discharged from the Army on 11 Jun 1918.
John married Dorothy (Dolly) Thirsk at Beverley Minster on 20 Dec 1930. In 1939 John and Dorothy Wardell were living at 16 Queensgate, John was working as a sales representative with the General Electric Company, Hull John Gage Seymour Wardell of Jefferson House, 16 Queensgate Road died at Westwood Hospital, Beverley on 22 Nov 1952, aged 57. Dorothy died on 13 Mar 1989. They are both buried Queensgate Cemetery, Beverley.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |