Name
John Charles Winter
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/09/1918
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
205893
Northamptonshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
Panel 7.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Ashwell Village Memorial, St Mary’s Church Memorial Roll of Honour, Ashwell(*1), Not listed on the Hertfordshire Yeomanry Memorial, St Albans Cathedral
Pre War
John Charles Winter was born in Ashwell in 1884, the son of Samuel and Eliza Winter and was baptised in Ashwell on 7 August 1887. He was educated at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Swan Street, Ashwell, where his father was working as a labourer. They remained in Ashwell in 1901 but had moved to Station Road and John was then working as an agricultural labourer. By 1911 he had moved in his widowed sister Martha Ryland and her three children at The Thrift public house, in Steeple Morden, Royston, Herts, and was working as a general carman.
John was a well known local footballer and runner and married Elizabeth Ada Hales in 1915.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Hertford in September 1914 and initially served with the Hertfordshire Yeomanry under reg. no. 105326, but was not posted to France until April 1918 at which time he was transferred into the Northamptonshire Regiment as part of the 54 Brigade. 18 Division.
John was killed in action near German lines and an article in the Hertfordshire Express of 26 October 1918 described how his comrades placed his rifle at his head with his identification tag attached in the hope that his body would be found and a cross be placed on his grave. Sadly his body has yet to be found and he has no known grave but his name is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His widow Elizabeth received a war gratuity of £18 10s and pay owing of £10 7s 5d. She also received a pension of 18s 9d a week. Her address on pension records was The Hermitage, Hemingford Abbotts, St Ives, later changed to Tower Road, Royston, Herts
*1 The St Mary's Church Roll of Honour incorrectly indicates that he survived.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, Jonty Wild, www.ashwellmuseum.org.uk
