Name
John Kenelm Digby
21 Nov 1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/08/1915
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Norfolk Regiment
1st/7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RIFLE HOUSE CEMETERY
II. B. 1.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
And For A Helmet the Hope of Salvation 1 Thess. V. 8
UK & Other Memorials
Bengeo School Memorial – Location TBC, Marlborough College Roll of Honour, Hertford College WW1 Oxford Oxfordshire
Pre War
John Kenelm Digby was born on 21st November 1890 and baptised on 5th January 1891 in Fakenham, Norfolk, to parents Algernon and Richenda Catherine (nee Hamond), he had one brother and two sisters.
The 1891 census shows him at Highfield House, Fakenham aged 4 months in the care of the servants, his Mother and Father staying with Relatives in Tittleshall nearby. The 1901 census show him as a boarder at Bengeo School, Danesbury, Bengeo, Hertford, aged 10, he went on to study at Marlborough College and Hertford College at Oxford from September 1904 to Easter 1908. In 1911 he is living in the family home at Highfield House in Fakenham, where his father’s employment is listed as a solicitor.
After obtaining his degree John joined the lay staff of the mission at Edmonton, Alberta, under the Archbishops Western Canada Scheme and worked there for 18 months until the outbreak of the war.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of War he was still in Canada and he volunteered enlisting as Private 18265 in the 9th Infantry Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in September 1914, being afterwards promoted to Lance Corporal.
He embarked for the UK on 1st October 1914. The 9th was re-designated 9th Reserve Battalion, based at Tidworth Camp, Salisbury Plain and spent the winter training.
On 20th January 1915 he was commissioned as Lieutenant in 1st/7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment. They finished their training in the UK and moved to France in May/June 1915. On June 23rd they took over a section of the front line near Ploegsteet Wood. By June being part of the 12th Division they were holding 7000 yards of the front line and in that month they lost 71 dead and 431 wounded, it was while stationed in this sector that John was killed in an accident in which a bomb (grenade) having been launched from a trench catapult exploded on the trench parapet.
Additional Information
Believed listed as 'Mr' it was probably his mother, R C Digby, Pension Regina, Montana sur Sierra Valais Switzerland, who ordered his headstone inscription: "And For A Helmet the Hope of Salvation 1 Thess. V. 8" Probate records show that he left £1189 18s to his father.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Ann Hacke, Terry & Glenis Collins
