JOHNSON, Jack



No.13205, Private, Jack JOHNSON
Aged 20


7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Friday, 4th May 1917


Jack Johnson was born in Cavendish (Sudbury Q4-1895 4A:731), son of Charles and Eliza JOHNSON (née WORDLEY).

1901 census...Aged 5, he was at Further Street, Cavendish with his father Charles JOHNSON [39] horse keeper; his mother Eliza [37]; sister Gertrude [14]; brothers Edward [11], Albert [9], Robert [6] and Dick [2]. All were born in Cavendish.

1911 census...Aged 15, a labourer boy, he was still in Further Street (near Hall Gates) Cavendish with his parents, sister Rose [5]; brothers Edward and Albert (farm labourers), Robert, labourers boy, Dick and Charles [3]. The two new siblings born in Cavendish and all ten of Eliza's children survive.

His brother Albert, who had married Florence STEWARD on 4th October 1913,with a daughter Edith Gertrude born 10th November 1914, enlisted the same day as Jack (# 13206) in Suffolk Regiment but was discharged after 39 days as being unlikely to become an efficient soldier( K.R. 392-3-c)

His brother Dick was killed serving in France in the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1918. see here



From their regimental numbers George Argent-John Ballard-John Brown-Jack Johnson-Charles Slater-Frank Underwood and Arthur Wells, all from Cavendish, enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment the same day

He enlisted in Sudbury.
The battalion had been reduced to under 200 effectives in operations between the Scarpe and Monchy at the end of April and were withdrawn to Reserve at Railway Triangle and Orange Lane. Three of the five deaths in the battalion on the 4th May were from wounds and it is difficult to find how Jack and one other came to die. The war diary for May 1917 appears not to be on line anywhere and Murphy's "History of the Suffolk Regiment" is no help.




photo: Rodney Gibson



Jack Johnson is buried in Happy Valley British Cemetery,Fampoux, grave B:10

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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