Name
Jack French
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14378
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHILI TRENCH CEMETERY, GAVRELLE
D. 11.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
Jack was born around 1896 in Hitchin and christened in the St Mary’s Church, Hitchin on 27 December 1896. His parents were Harry and Sarah French.
Jack’s family had been living in Hitchin In 1891 the family were living at x, Hitchin. Present were both parents: xxx and x, with x and working as a x. Their children were:
In 1901 the family were living at 12 Telegraph Place, Hiitchin. Present were both parents resent were both parents: Henry (37) and Sarah (33), with Henry (senior) and working as a bricklayer.
and both children listed above. Henry (senior) and working as a bricklayer. Their children were Sarah (12) and Henry (11), Rose (8), Charles (6), Jack (4) and Kate (2).
In 1911 the family were still living at 12 Telegraph Place, Hitchin. Present were both parents, Henry (senior) still working as a bricklayer. The census recorded they had been married for 24 years with 11 children all living. All the children listed above were present plus James (7), Lizzie (5), William and Herbert (both 3) and George at 3 months.
Before joining the army he had worked for the Hitchin Urban District Council.
Officially Jack was recorded as born in Hitchin, living and enlisting there.
Wartime Service
Jack volunteered on 3 September 1914 and was in the 6th Battalion with the Regimental Number 14378. This Battalion was part of the 112th Brigade of the 37th Division in the XVII Corps of the 3rd Army.
He was landed in France on 17 August 1915 and fought at Loos and on the Somme where he was wounded on the 1st July 1916. He was invalided home to hospital and after three-months treatment returned to his unit in France in October 1916. In November he was fighting alongside his brother Henry and saw the wounds inflicted on him from which he later died.
Jack was killed in action at Arras during the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe when he was in charge of a bombing section and a shell exploded in a trench. Serjeant Lawrence of the same platoon wrote "He was killed whilst advancing to push the cruel Hun from his position".
The Battalion was engaged in violent trench warfare east of the Gavrelle to Roeux Road east of Arras. Casualties were heavy. The Battalion was in support of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.
Sergeant S C Lawrence of the same platoon, wrote to Jack’s mother: “I had not left your son 5 minutes, I was thinking to myself how well he had dug in, but after that one of the boys came up and informed me that a shell had burst in the trench. I went along the trench and your son was beyond all earthly aid. His death was instantaneous. He died as his platoon was advancing to push the cruel Hun out of his position. Your son was in charge of the bombing section when he was killed. Had he lived, he would have certainly have been promoted, as his name had been mentioned to the O.C. of the company by his platoon officer. Your son was buried just beyond the first Bosche lines. Three of his chums were killed by the same shell. We advanced a long way beyond that place.”
He was buried in Row D, Grave 11 in the Chili Trench Cemetery in France.
Additional Information
His mother ordered his headstone inscription, while living at 12 Telegraph Place, Hitchin, it reads: “R.I.P.”.
After his death £4 2s 7d was authorised to go to his mother, Sarah, on 15 August 1917. Later, a war gratuity of £12 was authorised to be paid to her, on 29 October 1919.
There are two pension cards which list Jack and his brother, Henry, who also died, with their mother Sarah listed at 12 Telegraph Place, Hitchin, as a claimant.
Jack's medal cards suggest that he may have been in the 7th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, however all other documents found confirm the 6th.
Another brother, Charles fought and was wounded in Mesopotamia, and a son-in-law went missing in February 1917, but was reported as a prisoner of war in Germany.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
