G/46686, Private, John Robert MACKENDER
Aged 23
Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion
Died of his Wounds on Wednesday 21st August 1918
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Born in Lakenheath [ Mildenhall Q3-1895 4A:810]
1901 census:...Aged 6, he was living at Anchor Lane,Lakenheath with his father- Robert MACKENDER (transcribed as MACKANDER) [33] a stone raiser ; his mother- Lizzie (Elizabeth Anne BENNETT) [30]; brother Harry [4] and sister Ada [1]. All were born in Lakenheath. 1911 census:... Aged 15, farm labourer, living still in Anchor Lane,Lakenheath with his parents (father now a farm labourer), brother Harry and sister Ada. In 1915 he married Edith Maud TUFFS [12-11-1892] (Mildenhall Q2-1915 4A:2450).At Anchor Lane, akenheath, they had two sons, Harry Ernest [26-8-1915] and Jogn Francis Robert [12-7-1918] |
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Enlisted in Bury St Edmunds. Longueness Cemetery is on the outskirts of St Omer, which apart from being the HQ of the BEF, was a very important hospital centre during the war. The Bury Free Press of 7th September 1918 reported:- LAKENHEATH SOLDIER'S SACRIFICE - DIES OF WOUNDS AFTER OPERATION Among the casualties recently reported at Lakenheath is the death of a well-known young man, Private John Robert Mackinder (sic), the sad news having reached his wife, Mrs. Mackinder of Anchor Lane.He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Mackinder, Mill Road, Lakenheath and was in the Royal Fusiliers. He was 23, and leave his widow with two children. He enlisted in 1916, was home on leave last October, and was expecting to be home again shortly. The Sister in Charge of the No.1 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, writing to Mrs. Mackinder says:-"It is with deepest sympathy that I wire to tell you of your husband's death. Private J, Mackinder was admitted to this station on 20/8/1918 with a severe wound in his thigh. After he had sufficiently rested (because he was in a very exhausted condition when he was admitted) he was taken to the operating theatre and was given a blood transfusion, and it was found necessary to amputate his leg. But he did not improve, and died on 21/8/18. Everything possible was done for him." The Chaplain writes:" In spite of all the efforts of the doctors and nurses he passed peacefully away. His body was laid to rest in a cemetery and I read the Church of England service at the graveside." |
photo: Rodney Gibson photo:Rodney Gibson
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