Inscription on family Headstone

Aerial View of Polygon Wood AWM image

Newcastle Chronicle Wednesday 17th October 1917

Medal Index Card

In Ryton Churchyard is a headstone which reads:

In memory of
Joseph John Lish A.R.B.A.
Designer of this cemetery
Born 1841 died on January 13th ?1888
Also of
John Robertson Lish
eldest son of Joseph J. Lish
2nd Lieut. Lincolnshire Regiment
Special reserve of Officers
buried in Flanders near Polygon Wood
where he was killed on October 4th 1917
aged 36 years.

John Roberton Lish was born at Cramlington, on the 18th September 1879, the eldest son of Joseph John Lish, [born 14 Union Lane, Tanfield, Beamish in 1841, died January 17th 1922, Croftlands, Thornthwaite near Keswick], of Fencote, Fenham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a Past President and Gold Medallist of the Society of Architects (London), and his wife Nancy Bentley Hozier Roberton, [born 1849, Stockwell, Surrey, died 1932], daughter of the late Edward McLeod, of Natal, South Africa.

Joseph and Mary married in Perth , Scotland in 1878.

They had four children John Roberton, Catherine, born 1881, Bentley Beavons, born 1882 and Florence born 1886, at Cramlington.

John was educated at Singleton House School, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, Argyle House School, [11 St Georges Square], at Sunderland and at the De Aston School, Market Rasen, Lincoln.

He was a Shipbroker and Coal Exporter at Newcastle upon Tyne.

In 1901 residence address was stated as Moor House, Barmoor, West Ryton on Tyne.

He enlisted in the 9th (Quayside) BattalionNorthumberland Fusiliers, and was in 'B' Company, he was promoted to Corporal, then Sergeant, and had the service number of 12301 allocated to him. Went to France and Flanders on the 15th July 1915, and was wounded near Ypres on the 9th February 1916.

9th (Service) Battalion formed at Newcastle in September 1914 as part of K2 and came under orders of 52nd Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division. Landed in France in July 1915. August 1917, transferred to 103rd Brigade, 34th Division. 25th September 1917, absorbed the 2/1st Northumberland Yeomanry and became the 9th (Northumberland Hussars Yeomanry) Battalion, 26th May 1918, transferred to 183rd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland Division.

After a month in hospital he re-joined the battalion and fought in safety through the heavy fighting on the Somme in 1916.

John then was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion the Lincolnshire Regiment on the 30th May 1917. Then was attached to the 1st Battalion, and was killed at Polygon Wood on the 4th October 1917.

1st Battalion August 1914, in Portsmouth. Part of 9th Brigade, 3rd Division. Landed at Le Havre on the 14th August 1914. The brigade was attached to 28th Division between the 17th February and 2nd April 1915. 14th November 1915 : transferred to 62nd Brigade, 21st Division. The Bermuda Rifle Volunteer Corps sent a contingent of 2 officers and 125 men, who served with 1st Lincolns from June 1915 onwards. They had suffered 75% casualties by the end of the war.

His Captain wrote:-He was in my Company for a few short months, but it was long enough for me and everyone else in his platoon to get to love him as a brother and a soldier. I was with him when he got hit, and the men in his platoon avenged his death tenfold. It may be a slight consolation to you to know that it was the most successful attack this battalion has ever done.

And another Captain Your son was most popular with all in the battalion, a good leader of men, and one whose place will be difficult to replace. I am sure there was a great future for him as a soldier if only he could have been spared. It was a great price given during a great victory.

Another officer also wrote:- As a fellow subaltern of his in the same company, I think I can say that no more popular officer, both with the men, particularly his own platoon, who loved him, and with his brother officers, has ever come to this battalion. He had only been with us a short time, but in that time I had come to look on him as a real friend, always ready to help and stand by you in difficulties. Previous to the action in which he fell, he had done some firm reconnaissance work for the battalion, and had he lived was to have been recommended for the Military Cross. No finer death could his have been, and it may afford you some slight consolation to know that he died gallantly leading his platoon in one of the greatest successes of the war....

The reconnaissance that your son so successfully carried out was as follows:- Two days before the show, he with three other officers was sent to reconnoitre the ground that the battalion was to occupy. They were stopped at Brigade Headquarters , and told that it was impossible to go any further , as the shelling was so intense and the position of the front line very uncertain. Your son, however, after waiting there about an hour, got hold of his batman and slipped out on his own, and, absolutely regardless of shells or anything else, went on and thoroughly reconnoitred the ground. Thus, on the night we came up, he guided us the whole way, and got the whole battalion into position with very few casualties. I've been all over that ground, and I've experienced the shelling up in that sector, and it can only be described as 'hellish.' And to set out as your son did, alone and against orders, was, I think, a very brave thing to do. He was an all round sportsman, playing cricket, hockey, football, tennis and golf. He was unmarried.

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour

His mother resided at 4 Egglerslack Terrace, Grange-over-Sands, but by 1920 she had moved to 23 Derby Road Southport, where John's medals were finally sent.

[Joseph Lish (John's father) was based at Scottish Chambers, West Grainger Street in Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1896. He was articled to Thomas Oliver (1824-1902), the son of the architect Thomas Oliver (1791-1857), [responsible for much of the Grainger area of Newcastle], and remained as assistant. Joseph was responsible for the following works 1872, Gateshead UP Church, corner of Bewick Road and High West Street, 1872, Jarrow United Presbyterian Church. Cost £3200 and seating for 900, 1882, Clayton Road Wesleyan Methodist Church, Newcastle, 1883, South Shields UP Church, 1883, Gosforth Wesleyan Church, 1887, North Lodge and entrance screen, Blagdon House Grade II listed, 1908 Dove Marine Laboratory, Newcastle. Joseph was responsible for several patents for concrete building technology and operated two firms, the Northern Stone Firm and Dressing Company, both wound up in 1907].

The Royal Institute of Architects supplied the following information Joseph J. Lish (died 1922). Joined Society of Architects in 1884, and was Vice-President of the Society of Architects in 1886, then became President of the Society of Architects in 1887. Was awarded the Gold Medal of the Society of Architects (for Services).

John Robertson Lish is remembered at Fenham on F31.07 at Ryton on R33.01 and at Newcastle in NUT241 page 136.

Ryton and District War Memorial Project
Polygon Wood
The Lincolnshire Regiment in WW1
The CWGC entry for 2nd Lieutenant Lish