Name
John Hale
1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/04/1917
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
62832
Royal Fusiliers *2
20th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Walkern War Memorial, Not on the Stevenage Old Town memorials, Not on the Bishop's Stortford memorials
Pre War
John Hale was born in Bishop's Stortford in 1886, the eldest son of John and Mary Ann Hale.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Plantains Wood, Bishop's Stortford where his father was a Gamekeeper. They moved to Green Street, Little Hadham by 1901 and on the 1911 Census he was living with his family at Clay End, Walkern, Stevenage, Herts, and working as a Domestic Gardener. He married Sarah Bolter in 1913.
Wartime Service
John formerly served with the Middlesex Regiment*1 before transferring to the Royal Fusiliers.
On the 16th April 1917 the Battalion were in the Front Line near Hindenburg Trench. They were detailed to attack German positions, but the assault was driven back by very heavy machine gun fire and completely failed.
John has no known grave and his name is recorded on the Arras Memorial, Arras, France. Additional nformation: www.stevenageatwar.com
Additional Information
*1 Middlesex Regiment, otherwise known as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment. His widow Sarah received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £1 0s 7d. She also received a pension of 13s 9d a week from 5 November 1917 when she was said to be living at Rectory Lodge, Walkern, Herts
*2 Believed more correctly, (County of London)
Bn. London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich).
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Paul Johnson
