Name
Joseph William Samuel Root
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/04/1917
40
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
47913
Northumberland Fusiliers
27th Bn. (4th Tyneside Irish)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BAILLEUL ROAD EAST CEMETERY, ST. LAURENT-BLANGY
I.D.17
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial, St. Mary's Church Memorial, Rickmansworth
Pre War
Born in Poplar in 27th March 1887.
In 1911 Joseph was living at Hillside, London Road, Batchworth with his wife Malvina Root, 34. His occupation is shown as carpenter and joiner. They have two children Dorothy May 10 and Marie Primrose 2. Marie was born in Rickmansworth. The family were living with his wife's aunt Ann Lewis who had private means. His wife Malvina was his sole legatee and he is recorded in Irelands memorial records.
Recorded as enlisting in Watford.
Wartime Service
Killed in Action on the first day of the Battle of Arras, 9th April 1917.
In the spring of 1917 vast preparations were made for the assault on Arras in collaboration with the French 5th, 6th, 10th and 4th Armies. The French had set up six 'hospitaux d'evacuation' (casualty clearing stations), each with 3,000 beds and a huge dressing station with 700 beds was constructed.
The battlefront of Fergusson's Seventeenth Corps was from the right bank of the Scarpe near Arras up t the post then known as the Commandant's House, just north of Thelus. There were no villages over most of this part of the front both there were a great number of fortified farms and strong points of every description. The attack went well until a check was made at 'The Pump', a strong point, and some trenches called the Kleemanstellung just east of it. The 27th Northumberland Fusiliers were sent up and carried the place by storm, but lost heavily in doing so.
Additional Information
Joseph is also commemorated on his daughter’s grave in Rickmansworth (Chorley Road) Cemetery. His part of the inscription reads:
ALSO OF PTE. J W ROOT. [NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS]
FATHER OF THE ABOVE [Dorothy Root]
KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE APRIL 9TH 1917 AGED 40 YEARS
HE NOBODY FELL. MISSED BY ALL WHO LOVED HIM WELL
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Robert and Sally Williams
