Hutchings, John

Age: 25
Date of birth: Q3 1886

Parents: John and Elizabeth nee Prestidge
Wife: Single
Address: Last known at Hampton Street, Birmingham

Occupation: Career Soldier

John Hutchings was born in 1886 as Walter John Hutchings to parents John and Elizabeth.   John Senior was born in Banbury c1858 and his wife Elizabeth was born in Newbold Pacey c1857.  They had married in 1882.

By 1901, when John Jnr was 4, the family were living in Hampton Street, Birmingham.

We were unsure of John’s link to Warwick but must thank Wendy Boland and Ian Shuter of the South Warwickshire Family History Society who have found via the 1881 census that John Senior was living as an employee of Eli Maycock, Pork and Beef Butcher, at 12 Old Square Warwick.

Military Service

Rank & Number: Sergeant, 9964
Regiment/Service: 21st (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
Brigade/Division: 102nd Brigade, 34th Division
Date of death: Monday, April 09, 1917
Cause of death/Battle: Killed in Action - First Battle of the Scarpe
Commemorated/Buried: Roclincourt Valley Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Awards: 1914 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Commemorated locally at: St Nicholas Church

John’s Battalion took part in the attack on 2 objectives in the front line trenches at Rolincourt, the first objective (the Black Line) was taken with relative ease but the second (the Blue Line) proved much more difficult however the objective was captured. It is not possible to say which of the two attacks John was killed in.

Here are excerpts from the War Diary of John’s Regiment on 9th April 1917:

Contributors

  • Unlocking Warwick Research Group
  • The County of Warwickshire Roll of Honour 1915-2005 Volume 1 South Warwickshire – by Kenneth Fowler
  • South Warwickshire Family History Society

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