Name
John James Coe
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
265510
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
Hatfield Town Memorial, Hatfield In Memoriam Book, St Luke's Church Memorial, Bishops Hatfield, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
John James Coe was born in Hatfield, Herts on 22nd June 1895, son of (William) Harry Coe (B 1846 in Bury St Edmunds) and Sarah Elizabeth Coe (nee Bradbury) (B1857 in Hatfield). Baptised in Hatfield on 24th September 1897.
1901 Census records John aged 5, living with his parents, brother Harry and sister Rose, at 18 Beaconsfield Terrace, Hatfield. He attended Hatfield C of E school between 1898 and 1902. His father was working as a railway locomotive Store(?) man.
By 1911 now aged 16 John had left school and was working as a golf caddy, living at home with his parents, brother Harry and sister Rose, at 2 Ground Lane, Hatfield. His father was now working as a park sweeper for the Hatfield estate.
John's father William died in 1915
Officially recorded as born in Hatfield and was living there when he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
John enlisted in the County Town of Hertford on 28th August 1914, He was 19yrs. 2mths and working as a wheelwright.
He was posted to the Hertfordshire Regiment, with the Service No. 2551. The Battalion left Bury St Edmunds on 5th November 1914, and embarked on the "City of Chester", they sailed at midnight arriving at Le Havre in the morning of the 6th November 1914, disembarking about midday they then marched 3.5 miles to No. 2 Rest Camp.
John was wounded on 13th November 1916, at the Battle of the Ancre, (13th to 18th November).
He was issued a new number 265510 in early 1917 when a new numbering system was introduced.
On 17/12/1916 appointed acting Lance Corporal became full Lance Corporal on 29/03/1917.
John was killed in Action on 31st July 1917, at the Battle of St Julian(*1), where the Hertfordshire Regiment sustained heavy casualties. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial to the missing.
*1 St Juliaan
The 1st Hertfordshire Battalion were in support of an attack on the Langemarck Line and a general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and the planned assault began. It had three objectives to achieve known as Blue, Black & Green and units of the 116th Brigade easily captured the first two objectives, preparing the way for the forward companies of the Hertfordshire battalion, to take the third objective.
They had marched from Vlamertingue to their assembly position arriving by midnight on the 30th/31st July 1917. A general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July. At 05.00am the Hertfordshires left their assembly positions to attack their objective, which lay over the crest of a ridge.
As they made their way forward, they came under heavy fire from both German machine guns and snipers but after eliminating a German strongpoint moved up towards St. Juliaan, which was only lightly held. The Battalion crossed the Steenbeek with some difficulty and two of its supporting Tanks became bogged down in the mud. Things then went from bad to worse. A pre-arranged artillery barrage never materialised due to the guns being unable to move forward over the muddy terrain and the German barbed wire defences, which were fifteen feet deep in some places, were found to still be intact. It was soon realised that ground could only be won by section "rushes" supported by the unit’s own fire.
The Cheshire Regiment were on the right of the battalion but the Black Watch, who were due to cover the left flank, had been seriously delayed. This left the Hertfordshire Regiment seriously exposed, the Germans exploited this by bringing a hurricane of fire down upon the stricken troops. This was followed by a German counterattack and by 10.30am it was clear that the objective could not be achieved. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded. This was 100% of its Officers and about 75% of its Other Ranks.
The Bishop’s Hatfield Parish Magazine of November 1914, in the third list of men mobilised from Hatfield, recorded: “Coe, J – Ground Lane – 1st Herts. Territorials”.
Then in February 1917: “Promotions – John Coe - Lance Corporal – 1st Herts.” And in September 1917: “This issue of the magazine is of necessity a sad one owing to the large number of casualties incurred in Hertfordshire in the glorious action at St Julien in which all the officers of the 1st Herts. were killed or wounded and a heavy toll of life of men under them was taken. The story has been graphically told by Mr Beach Thomas in “The Daily Mail” and repeated in the “Herts Mercury” and “St Albans Times” of August 18th that it need not be repeated here.
We have however to mourn the loss of seven brave men: -
Conrad Austin – Northumberland Fusiliers, Arthur Pegram – Kings Irish Rifles, John Coe – 1st Herts.,
William Hipgrave – 5th Beds., Robert Putterill – R.A.M.C., Geoffrey Powell – 1st Herts.
Victor Webster – Machine Gun Corp.
Later still the magazine of October 1917, recorded: “Mrs Coe has heard both from J. C. Frost and A.G. Webb concerning the death of her son, Lance Corporal John J. Coe, that he was killed instantaneously whilst advancing towards German trenches, a bullet piercing his heart and causing instantaneous death. “He was a great friend of all and liked throughout the Company” is a tribute of his friends worthy of a hero. It is told of him that he volunteered for a dangerous service on which he was killed in order to take the place of a man with a large family.
Awarded the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1914 star with Clasp.
Additional Information
The value of his effects were £6-18s-0d, Pay Owing and £14, War Gratuity, which went to his mother Sarah.
Personal effects were sent to Mrs S.E. Coe, 9 Ground Lane, Hatfield, on 03/01/1918. Mrs Coe also received his medals, the clasp for 1914 star on 23/3/1920 and Brit. War medal & Victory medal on 14/05/1921.
Hatfield Parish Council Souvenir Committee Ledger: Mrs Coe (Mother) of Ground Lane, Hatfield received an In Memoriam and Roll of Honour Book.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne, Paul Johnson, Christine & Derek Martindale, Hatfield Local History Society (www.hatfieldhistory.uk)
