Name
Jack Alfred Willmott
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
266667
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st/1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DUHALLOW A.D.S. CEMETERY
I. A. 43.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford,
Letchworth Town Memorial,
Not on the Ashwell memorials
Pre War
Jack Willmott was born in Ashwell, Hertfordshire in 1895, the son of George and Jennie Willmott (nee Mehew). His father was a successful Bricklayer and Builder by trade, and his work took him wide and far. The family home was in the High Street, Ashwell, where Jack lived with his parents, five siblings, Reg, Mabel, Winnie, Cyril, Gladys, and a domestic help, Ada Dellar.
By the time Jack was 16, the family had moved from Ashwell and were living at 36 Canterbury Road, West Worthing in Sussex. Between 1911 and 1915, the family had again moved on at least two more occasions. Firstly, they resided at the Old Manor House, Wrestlingworth, Bedfordshire, and later moved to Springfield, Stotfold, Bedfordshire.
Jack enlisted in Hertford on 31st May 1915.
Wartime Service
Jack initially entered service with “A” Company of the 3rd/1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment, and went to Windsor for basic training. On the 3rd September 1915, he was brought before the company commanding officer on a charge of causing a disturbance in his tent the previous day. The witness, Corporal Clements, gave details of the offence and Jack was confined to barracks for seven days.
His Battalion moved to Halton Park in Buckinghamshire, and here, on the 21st October, Jack was again charged with not complying with an order that day. For his disobedience, Jack was again confined to his barracks, this time for four days.
Jack left the shores of England on the 13th March 1916 when he embarked for France at Southampton. Arriving in Le Harve the following morning. Less that two-months later, on 2nd May 1916, Jack witnessed one of his friends, Thomas Cummings, being killed, believed to have been shot by a sniper, after the Battalion moved into front-line trenches to relieve the 12th Royal Sussex Regiment.
Jack's Battalion took part in latter stages of the Battle of the Somme and Battle of the Ancre which began on the 13th November 1916.
On the 18th February 1917, Jack was admitted to the 134th Field Ambulance suffering with Diarrhoea. This condition was treated very seriously by the Army at the time and all such cases were fast tracked to a Casualty Clearing Station for treatment. He arrived back with his Battalion on the 23rd April 1917, a full nine weeks after having contracted the condition.
Jack died of wounds at St Juliaan on the 31st July 1917, most probably wounded during the early stages of the attack. He was hit in both legs by machine gun fire, He would have been carried to a Regimental Aid Post, and from there carried by stretcher to the Divisional Collecting Post. Due to the condition of the ground it was extremely difficult for motor ambulance to get the wounded to the Advanced Dressing Station at Dulhallow. In this case Jack would have been carried over two miles on a stretcher by a team of bearers. A long and exhausting journey, that must have seemed never ending for Jack, who was suffering from a great deal of blood loss. I would appear that, despite their best efforts, Jack died just 30 minutes after arriving at the Dressing Station.
St Juliaan
It was most probably during the early stages of the attack that Jack Willmott was hit in both legs by amachine gun fire, He would have been carried to a Regimental Aid Post, and from there carried by stretcher to the Divisional Collecting Post. Due to the condition of the ground it was extremely difficult for motor ambulance to get the wounded to the Advanced Dressing Station at Dulhallow. In this case Jack would have been carried over two miles on a stretcher by a team of bearers. A long and exhausting journey, that must have seemed never ending for Jack, who was suffering from a great deal of blood loss. I would appear that, despite their best efforts, Jack died just 30 minutes after arriving at the Dressing Station.
Additional Information
On 28th October 1919 Jack’s mother received notification from the war office that she was to be awarded Jack’s war gratuity of Nine Pounds and Ten Shillings (£9.50).
Jack's extensive biography by Paul Johnson can be found in this website's Archive section at: http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/archives/hertfordshire-men-women-individuals-stories/jack-alfred-willmott-biography/
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
Adrian Pitts, Jonty Wild, Paul Johnson
