Northern Daily Mail Wednesday 01/05/19

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

John Laird was the name taken by John Robert Lord when he jumped ship from the Royal Navy Training ship HMS Cumberland in June 1913 in North America.

Born in Whitby on 7th December 1892, John Robert Lord was the first son to be born to Lancashire born shipyard worker John Laird and his wife Hannah Margaret Peacock, whom he had married in her home town of Whitby in 1883. Elizabeth and Annie were their first two children, and after John came Matthew and Laura, all born in Whitby. By 1901 the family were living at 16 Richmond Street, Hartlepool and in September 1908 John joined HMS Ganges as a boy sailor 2nd class. Two years later on his 18th birthday he signed on for twelve years becoming an Able Bodied Seaman in 1912.

In January 1913 he was transferred to the armoured cruiser HMS Cumberland which was on the North Atlantic run, sailing between Britain and North America and in June he jumped ship. November 1914 saw John Laird, who had been working as a farmer, enlist with the 25th (Nova Scotia) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Halifax. He claimed to have been born in West Hartlepool and his next of kin were given as John and Elizabeth (his sister’s name) Laird of 16 Richmond Street, West Hartlepool.

As Private 67778 in B Company, John sailed with the Battalion aboard SS Saxonia to Devonport arriving at the end of May 1915 and a posting to East Sandling Camp, Kent. After three months in England the Battalion proceeded from Folkestone to Boulogne and fought as part of the 5th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division.

June 1916 saw Private Laird wounded in his right leg during fighting around Zillebeke and he was invalided to Bart’s Hospital in London. After convalescing in Epsom he was discharged from medical care and in September returned to France, rejoining the 25th Battalion at Pozieres at the end of September. After only three days, on 1st October during fighting at Courcelette, John was once again wounded, this time in the right arm and face and after treatment in France was invalided to England and admitted to hospital in Liverpool. Not discharged from hospital until December he was attached to the Canadian Casualty Depot in Hastings until considered to be fully fit when he was posted back to the 25th Battalion in France in mid April 1917. Promoted to Corporal before even joining the 25th at Mont St Eloi, by mid August he was a Lance Sergeant and was promoted to Sergeant early in December.

The Battalion War Diary states that on 24th April 1918 an officer and two NCOs, one of whom was Sergeant Laird, took advantage of the heavy fog and left their lines at Mercatel with the intention of locating suspected enemy outposts. An enemy sentry group was observed, but the patrol was seen and Sergeant Laird was shot in the side. He was dragged to safety and a stretcher party sent for. All the men returned safely with the only casualty being Sergeant Laird.

He was immediately evacuated to 56th Casualty Clearing Station, where he died from his wounds the same day.

John Lord is remembered in Hartlepool on H115.30 page 27 and at West Hartlepool on W111.54, W111.59 and W111.86 page 23 as well as the Northern Daily Mail 1914/18 list of casualties

In Canada he is remembered as John Laird on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance

Canadian Book of Remembrance
The Canadian Virtual Memorial
The CWGC entry for Sergeant Laird