Strand Military Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Strand Military Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Craddock, one of 20 children of whom only 5 survived was the eldest of 4 brothers and had 1 sister. His father Anthony Craddock was a native of Croydon, Surrey born January 29th 1862 and baptised May 15th 1864. By the age of 15 he had migrated to Sunderland and joined the Merchant Navy, January 26th 1876, bound to Mr. John Hopper for a period of 4 years as an apprentice aboard the newly built (1871) Harvest Queen, a 3 masted sailing ship.
Anthony Craddock married at Sunderland to Margaret Ann Soulsby after the birth of their daughter Margaret (1883). John was born in 1885, Robert 1888 and William 1890. In 1891 they were living at 1, Queen Street, Sunderland, a shared property with two other families, Anthony was employed as a labourer, Margaret (8) and John (6) attended school, their younger siblings remained at home with their mother. Margaret gave birth to a further 4 children Anthony Jnr 1894, Charles Henry 1895, Edward 1896 and prior to the birth of James in 1902, unfortunately Edward died aged 5 years, his brother William died in 1903 aged 13 years.
John Craddock aged 18 years and 7 months enlisted at Sunderland, January 24th 1904, joining the Army and requesting he be assigned to the Durham Light Infantry. As Private 8731 he was posted to the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry February 16th 1904 and remained in England until December 7th 1905 when he was posted to the 1st Battalion D.L.I. and departed to India. The battalion remained in India throughout the First World War and did not return to England until 1920, however, Private Craddock having served his term of duty came home March 2nd 1907 and transferred to the Army Reserve March 6th 1907.
John was married at the parish church Middle Hendon, Sunderland, April 4th 1908 to Mary Elizabeth Smith born at Clangate Moor, Durham in 1888, with whom over the next 5 years he had 4 children, John Jnr in 1908, Edward 1909, Mary Elizabeth 1911 whilst they were living at 7, Maud’s Lane, Sunderland and Ruth in 1913.
When war was declared July 28th 1914 John was recalled to the Colours and assigned under his old military number as Private 8736 Durham Light Infantry to the 2nd Battalion, August 5th 1914. When he departed for France, September 7th 1914, his wife Mary Elizabeth was pregnant with their fifth child.
The battalion attached to the 6th Division left Southampton arriving in France, September 8th, and was the first of the Durham Light infantry battalions to see action during WW1 at Troyon on the River Aisne sustaining also the first casualties of the war.
By the end of October 1914 the 2nd Battalion had been withdrawn from the front having lost 80% of the original men who had disembarked at St. Nazaire. Having received reinforcements, once at full strength they participated at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, Match 10th-15th 1915, in the Artois region of France but moved to the Ypres salient in Belgium when the Germans attacked at The Second Battle of Ypres, April 22nd 1915, where they were joined by the newly arrived Territorial of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. As part of the 50th Division in the following months they sustained repeated attacks by the Germans.
Private 8736 John Craddock Durham Light Infantry was killed in action, May 3rd 1915, and initially buried at Le Bizet Convent Military Cemetery, Ploegsteert, at map reference SL 36. c. 14. a. 40. 6. s.
After the Armistice at the request of the French and Belgian Governments smaller concentrations and isolated graves were brought into larger cemeteries. Le Bizet consisted of 88 burials from the United Kingdom and one from Canada who fell between October 1914-October 1915. Their remains were exhumed and brought into Strand Military Cemetery, 12.5 kilometres from Ypres, Belgium, October 20th 1920 and re-buried with military honours. Private 8736 John Craddock Durham Light infantry is at rest grave X. G. 4.
His widow Mary Elizabeth received all monies due to him by the Army, a pension of 24 shillings 6 pence a week as of November 18th 1915 for herself and her 5 children, as she had given birth to a daughter during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1915, named Elizabeth Ann and his awards of the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 28, Zion Street, Sunderland, County Durham.
Mary Elizabeth re-married at Sunderland in 1918 to widower Jack E. Cheverton, born 1878 at Horsham, Surrey, who had 6 children of his own. Unfortunately, she was widowed for a second time when he died at Sunderland in 1935 aged 57 years. Mary Elizabeth Cheverton-Craddock nee Smith died aged 80 years in 1968, registered at Sunderland, County Durham.
John and Mary Anne’s son Edward died in the service of his Country between August 30-31st 1942 in Egypt. Trooper 3460788 Edward Craddock 4th Queen’s Own Hussars, Royal Armoured Corps, was 33 years of age and is at rest within El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt, collective grave XXXIII. G. 23, having been brought into the cemetery for re-burial from I. S. El Himeimat, January 28th 1944.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Craddock is remembered in Sunderland on S140.097 and in S140.048 part 2
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 107
