204283 Private John Shaw
1st/6th Battalion
Duke of Wellington's(West Riding)Regiment
28th February 1918
Born in Elland, Leeds, Yorkshire in 1891.
His parents were Joshua Shaw(1856-1913) and Harriet Haigh(19/02/1861-1940). They were married on 04/08/1878.
John had 4 brothers, Willie(25/12/1878-1953),Joseph Thomas(1884-1944), James Herbert(1894-12/07/1917) and Percy(born in 1899).
He also had 6 sisters, Elizabeth(28/12/1880-1962),Mary Harriet(born in 1882),Pauline(09/09/1887-1920),Rachel Ann(12/10/1889-12/07/1917), Gladys(born in 1897) and Laura(born in 1903).
In the 1901 and 1911 censuses, the family were recorded as living at 106 Langdale Street, Elland. Joshua was employed as a joiner. In 1911 John was working from home as a wash liquid maker.
John enlisted in the 4th Battalion West Riding Territorial Regiment in Elland on 04/06/1908 as Private 412. The details of his medical performed on the same day are as follows;
Apparent Age - 17 years
Trade - Cotton Operator working on James Street, Elland.
Height - 5ft 31/2 inches, Chest Measurement when fully expanded - 341/2 inches, Range of Expansion - 2inches,
Vision - Good, Physical Development - Good.
Each year soldiers in the Territorial Army were required to go to a training camp, the following is the list that John attended;
Redcar - 25/07/1908-01/08/1908, Marske by the Sea - 25/07/1909-01/08/1909, Peel(Isle of Man) - 24/07/1910-31/07/1910, Ripon - 30/07/1911-06/08/1911.
He was re-engaged in the Regiment for 1 year on 18/04/1912 and attended training camp at Flamborough 28/07/1912-06/08/1912.
In May 1913 he was once again re-engaged in the Regiment for 1 year and attended training camp at Aberystwyth 27/07/1913-02/08/1913.
On 16/05/1914 he married Annie Morton(02/07/1895-1979) and they had a daughter, Edith Alice(born on 08/03/1917).
John enlisted into Duke of Wellington's(West Riding) Regiment in Halifax.
He died of wounds received in action on 28/02/1918.
John was awarded the 1914-1918 British War and Allied Victory medals.
His wife Annie received a pension of 20/-(shillings)5d(pence) a week starting from 16/09/1918. She was to remarry on 22/11/1919 to Victor Barraclough(1892-1948).
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Halifax Guardian – Saturday 23 March 1918
“Official intimation has been received that Private John Shaw, W.R.R., 40 Park Road Elland, died of wounds on the 28th of February 1918, after having returned to France only three weeks. A brother is reported missing since last July and two other brothers are serving. In civilian life he was employed at the Century Dyeworks, Elland. And prior to the outbreak of war, was for six years a member of the Elland Territorials. He was 26 and leaves a widow and one child.”
The brother that was reported as missing was James, Private 34286 in 16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. His body was found at map reference M22.G, identified by his disc and buried in Ramscappelle Road Military Cemetery, Nieuwpoort, Belgium (Map Reference M35 G.6.4) plot IX.C.7.