Hooge Crater Cemetery
Hooge Crater Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Richmond was the son of Jane Richmond and husband of Ann Forster, known as Annie. He and Annie were married at Gateshead, County Durham, during the 2nd quarter (Apr/May/Jun) 1911, their son David was born in 1912, daughters Agnes and Jane in 1914 and 1915 respectively.
One of the first to enlist upon the declaration of war at Gateshead he was assigned as Private 4625 Durham Light Infantry, joining his regiment at their barracks at Newcastle-upon-Tyne the following day. He was posted to the 1st/9th Battalion which deployed to South Shield digging trenches as well as training the new recruits. Over the next 9 months they were trained at Ravensworth, Boldon and Newcastle-upon-Tyne for overseas service. When the battalion departed to France, April 19th 1915, Private Richmond was not amongst them. He had been posted to the 1/6th Battalion a Territorial Force departing to the front as of January 1916, at the Infantry Base depot at Etaples he was posted to the 12th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, attached to the 23rd Division, with a change of service number 270058. In June 1916 the division moved to the Somme and the 12th Battalion participated at the opening attack, which had commenced July 1st 1916, entering the action July 7th at La Boisselle. Most of the following month was spent in reserve at Armentieres before they returned to the Somme where an attack took place with the help of tanks. The battalion captured the Tangle, a complex of trenches and machine gun posts, east of Le Sars. 70 German prisoners were taken with the loss of only 30 men of the battalion killed or wounded. Battle concluded the division departed for the Ypres salient in Belgium.
June 1917 several huge mines were exploded under the German trenches on Messines Ridge with the participation of the 12th Battalion capturing Impartial Trench, however, losing 15 men. Private 270058 John Richmond was killed in action on the Ypres salient, July 11th 1917, his body buried on the battlefield, map reference, 1. 36. b. 9. 9. marked with a cross bearing the words, “In memory of 270058 Pte. Richmond J. 12th D.L.I. “B” Coy.”
After the Armistice at the request of the French and Belgian governments the battlefields were cleared of small concentrations. To this end the body of Private Richmond was exhumed and his remains brought into Hooge Crater Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, near Ypres, Belgium, July 9th 1920. He was laid to rest, grave XX. K. 6. with all honour and reverence by an Army Chaplain. At the time of his demise in 1917 he was 27 years of age.
His widow Annie received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and the children and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 59, Abbot Street, Gateshead, County Durham. She commissioned at a cost of 7 shillings 10 pence an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Dead To Sight But Alive In Memory.”
The death of John’s mother Jane Richmond preceded that of his own or was between 1917 and 1919 prior to the completion of pension documents.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Richmond is remembered at Gateshead on G39.004 page 81 and G39.024
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 179
