Name
John White
6 April 1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/07/1917
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
20867
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 31 and 33.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
St Dunstan’s Church Memorial Plaque, Hunsdon,
Eastwick War Memorial,
Not on the Bishop's Stortford memorial
Pre War
John White was born in Bishop’s Stortford on 6 April 1890 to William and Mary White and baptised on 21 May 1890 at St Michael's, Bishop's Stortford. He had four sisters and three brothers one of whom was James who also died in the war, his father was a farm labourer.
On the 1891 Census they were living at Lindsey Common, Bishop's Stortford but had moved to Eastwick, Ware, Herts by 1901. In 1911 they were living at Hunsdon Pound, Hunsdon, Nr Ware, Herts, and John was working as a farm labourer. At the time of his death his parents were living in Birch House Cottages, Stanstead Abbotts.
Wartime Service
John enlisted in Hertford into the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment which was stationed in South Africa but, at the outbreak of the war, was sent back to England and refitted for European warfare.
The regiment was sent to Belgium on 7th October 1914 as part of the British Expeditionary Force (The Old Contemptibles). They fought at Neuve Chappelle and Loos in 1915 and at the Somme in Delville Wood and Le Transloy in 1916.
By 1917 they were involved at the battle for Arras in April and then at the Third Battle of Ypres. On 23rd July the battalion was in the front line at Zillebeke for six days, they suffered no fatal casualties for the first three days, but lost 29 men during the following three-day period, one of whom was John White.
He was missing, presumed dead, following action near Chateau Segard, near Ypres.
Additional Information
His father William received a war gratuity of £9 and pay owing of £8 11s 1d.
Both John and his brother James were killed during the war and are commemorated on the memorials at Hunsdon and Eastwick.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Terry & Glenis Collins, Anthony Hodgkins
