Monday 4 August 2014

Remembering

This is a repeat of a post from Remembrance Day 2010.... but with the 100 year anniversary of the start of the Great War, I thought it should be posted again.

In Memory of

Private JOHN TURNBULL CHANDLER

175142, 5th Coy., Canadian Machine Gun Corps who died age 20 on 03 July 1917.

Only son of John William and Agnes Chandler, of Gedney Dyke, Holbeach, Lincs.

Native of Southea, nr. Wisbech.

Remembered with honour

BULLY-GRENAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BRITISH EXTENSION,

BULLY-GRENAY, FRANCE


John Turnbull CHANDLER was my mother's cousin. He was born 31 August 1896 in Lincolnshire, England, and was known as Jack.

Jack left England to learn farming techniques in Canada and settled in GrimsbyOntario. He joined the 86th Machine Gun Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1915 at WellandOntario, stating that his date of birth was 1894, not 1896. At that time he was already a member of the 44th Regiment of the Canadian Militia. His enlistment papers show him to be “apparent age 21 years 8 months”, 5’4”, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, a member of the Church of England, and fit to serve with the Forces.
His life ended in 
France on 3 July 1917, serving with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.

His obituary:

GEDNEY DYKE SOLDIER FALLS We regret to report the death in action of Pte. John Turnbull Chandler, son of the late Mr. John W. Chandler, schoolmaster, Parson Drove, and of Mrs. Chandler, schoolmistress, Gedney Dyke. 
The deceased was educated at Barbourne CollegeWorcester (1908) and Framlingham College (1909-1912). He learned farming and went to Canada in April 1912. He enlisted in January 1916 in GrimsbyOntario, came over to Shorncliffe June 1916, went to France October 1916, and was killed in action July 3rd. He was only 20 years of age. He leaves a mother and six sisters to mourn his loss.

I visited his grave in France with my two sons in 2005. Perhaps the only family members to do so.

6 comments:

  1. Oh so young, but a wonderful honor to be remembered for his service. I think it's so nice that you were able to actually visit his grave site.
    Thanks for your comment on my blog. I love sunflowers too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You have kept his memory going. So nice that you visited his grave in France.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So very touching, my dear. He was just a boy! Everything ahead of him---his life cut short so very very young. Such a terrible loss for your family....And how lovely that you visited his grave in France.

    The War To End All Wars was such a devastating horrible war....So very many losses, and the "wars" went on and on----and still, go on. We have learned nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So very sad to died so young... Moving tribute!

    ReplyDelete
  5. God bless him. God bless them all.

    ReplyDelete

All comments welcome.... unless your name is Anonymous..