Name
John East
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/03/1915
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13298
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RUE-DU-BACQUEROT (13TH LONDON) GRAVEYARD, LAVENTIE
F.8
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Rickmansworth memorials, Not on the Watford memorials
Pre War
Born in Rickmansworth in 1879 John was the son of William and Ann (nee Coker) East.
William was a Labourer and in 1881 was living Wharf Lane, Rickmansworth with Annand nine children. In 1891 William and Ann were at Gordon Terrace, Norfolk Road with just John age 11, a Scholar, still at home together with two lodgers. John has not been traced in 1901 or 1911 and as the 2nd Bedfordshires was a regular Battalion, he may have been in the army already.
His parents were at 2 Norfolk Road in 1901. His mother is thought to have died later that year and his father in 1910.
Recorded born in Watford and living in Gunnersbury, Middx. when he enlisted in Hastings.
Wartime Service
The 2nd Battalion was in South Africa when war broke out and was immediately recalled to England.
They joined 21st Brigade 7th Division, refitted for European warfare, and landed in France 7th October 1914. They moved 40 miles south to meet the rest of the Army near Ypres and met the Germans for the first time in a brief skirmish on the 18th of October, before taking part in the First Battle of Ypres.
John died of wounds and it is not known when they were incurred. The Battalion suffered more than 180 casualties during the battle of Neuve Chapelle 11th to the 13th of March so he might have been wounded then.
Between the 25th and 31st of March the Battalion was in trenches in the Laventie area and had 4 men killed and 8 wounded.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Mike Collins
