Name
John Burt Hornsby
1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/07/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
2710
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
2nd/2nd (City of London) Bn., attached 1st/2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 9 D and 16 B.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Bushey memorials, St Bartholomew's Church Memorial, Greens Norton, Northants
Pre War
John Burt Hornsby was born in 1893 in Greens Norton, Northamptonshire, the son of Richard and Sarah Hornsby (nee Burt) and one of seven children, although one died in infancy. He was baptised on 3 December 1893 at St Bartholomews Church, Greens Norton.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Greens Norton, where his father was working as a baker. They remained there in 1911 at which time John was working as a grocer's assistant.
He was said to be living in Bushey at the time of enlistment.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in London and joined the London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) serving with the 2nd Battalion in Egypt from 30 August 1915. His reg. no. of 2710 suggests he joined sometime between September and October 1914.
The 2nd Battalion was involved in heavy fighting in Gallipoli but evacuated on 7/8 January 1916, returning to Egypt. In March they were sent to Marseilles, France and travelled by train to Pont Remy on the Somme river.
John was killed in action in France on 1 July 1916 (first day of the Battle of the Somme). He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £8 and pay owing of £2 14s 0d. His mother did not receive a pension, but instead received a supplementary allowance of £3 a week. (Reason unknown)
N.B. Although named on the St Bartholomew's Church Memorial, Greens Norton, John is recorded as Burt Hornsby, not John Burt Hornsby. Some military records give his middle name as 'Bert' and not the correct 'Burt'.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
