Bard Cottage Cemetery
J.F. Quinn
Royal Engineers
3rd July 1917 age 32
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:
John Francis Quinn was my great-grandmother’s nephew, her sister’s child. He was born 1892 in Felling, the second son and one of six children, three boys and three girls of Michael Quinn, (born Newcastle June 1864, died Gateshead 1896) and Susannah Jane Pearson, (born Heworth 1864, died Gateshead 1947). His father was a coal miner but he, at the age of sixteen, was working as a grocer’s assistant although he later went to work at Heworth Colliery.
September 29th 1914 he enlisted in Newcastle-upon-Tyne as Sapper 8833, 1st Connaught Rangers, an Irish regiment, transferring to the 173rd Tunnelling Coy. The 173rd was one of the eight tunnelling companies formed in February 1915 and engaged in digging a system of tunnels under and alongside the enemy trenches and dugouts in extreme conditions, working by candlelight. By the Spring of 1917 tactics had changed and tunnelling ceased with the exception of certain areas around Arras. John Francis was transferred to the Royal Engineers as Sapper 79991. He died of wounds July 23rd 1917 and is buried Grave II.J.19, Bard Cottage Cemetery, a few kilometres outside of Ypres in Belgium. He was awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
At the time of his death his mother Susannah Jane Quinn was living at 65 Oak Street, Teams Colliery, Gateshead.
In God’s Safe Keeping, Rest in Peace.
John Francis Quinn is remembered at Felling on F32.22 and F32.24
