John Rose 1895-1916

John Rose Barnsley Chronicle 16 September 1916
(thanks to Barnsley Archives)

Born:
24 September 1895 (calculated from age at enlistment)
Baptised: 5 January 1896 St Peter's Barnsley

Son of:
Edwin Rose b.1862 Barnsley d.1937 Barnsley
1911: Coal Miner Hewer 52 Heelis Street, Barnsley
married at St Mary's, Barnsley on 7 April 1882 to
Sarah Ann Rose (maiden name Ward) b.1862 Barnsley d.1942 Barnsley

Position in family: 8th out of 10 children (2 died before 1911)
1. Albert Rose b.1883
2. Walter Rose b.1884 d.1909
3. Joe Rose b.1886 d.1899
4. Vincent Rose b.1888
5. Edwin Rose b.1890  WW1 SERVICE
6. Annie Rose b.1893
7. John Rose b.1895  WW1 DIED OF WOUNDS
8. Eliza Rose b.1899
9. Horace Rose b.1902
10. Arthur Rose b.1904 d.1926

Home address, age and occupation:
1901: 58 Heelis Street, Barnsley aged 5
1911: 52 Heelis Street, Barnsley aged 15, Bottle Hand in Glassworks
1915: 52 Heelis Street, Barnsley aged 20 years 14 days, Miner

Marriage: John was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: 8 October 1915 at the age of 20 years
Arrived in France: 5 April 1916
Regiment and Battalion:    "C" Coy, 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment
Service number and rank:  14/1480 Private
Awards: British War Medal, Victory Medal

Personal information:   5' 5.75" tall, 37.5" chest, normal vision, weight 133lbs.

Death:     1 September 1916 age 20 years and 11 months
Buried at: Abbeville Communal Cemetery
Grave Reference: III C 18

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of Edwin and Sarah Ann Rose, of Barnsley, Yorks.

Remembered:
St John's Church, Barebones, Barnsley (memorial lost)

Notes:
He died of "Gun Shot Wound to Back" inflicted 12 August 1916 according to his Army Service Records.  He had been noted as "dangerously ill" on 21 August 1916.

Barnsley Chronicle 9 September 1916 (thanks to Barnsley Archives)

From the Barnsley Chronicle 9 September 1916:
At the early age of 19 years, Private J. Rose, of the Second Barnsley Battalion, late of the 15th Reserve Y & L, has died of wounds received in action on August 17th.  A single man, Private Rose joined the Forces in November 1915, at which time he was working at Grimethorpe Colliery and residing with his parents at 52, Heelis Street, Barnsley.  He succumbed in No. 1 South African General Hospital, France.  Another brother of the deceased soldier, Pte E. Rose, is in the First Barnsley Battalion.  A photo of Pte. J. Rose will appear in next week's "Chronicle".

As you can see the above article contains several discrepancies - John was nearly 21 years old and he joined up in October 1915.  The date of his wounding also differs from that given in his Army Service records.

According to the new records available on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site his mother was willing to pay for the additional words "Though Death Divides, Still Memory Clings" on his gravestone.  As I understand the charge should have been 3.5d (old pence) per letter, but it was not generally enforced.  Unfortunately many poor families were probably deterred by the cost from requesting the additional inscription.