Name
John Pace
14 July 1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/05/1918
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Gunner
198900
Royal Field Artillery
C Bty. 162nd Bde.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARNEKE BRITISH CEMETERY
II. B. 5.
France
Headstone Inscription
SADLY MISSED BY HIS WIFE & CHILD WE THANK GOD FOR EVERY REMEMBRANCE OF YOU
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Berkhamsted memorials
Pre War
Jonathan (John) Pace was born on 14 July 1884 in Croydon, Surrey, the son of Charles and Emma Pace, and baptised at St James' Church, Croydon on 20 October 1884, at which time they were living at Cromwell Road. He had an older sister Ethel.
By the 1891 Census they had moved to 17 Station Road, Romsey, Hampshire where his father was working as a marble stonemason. They remained in Station Road on the 1901 Census and John was then a mason's apprentice. He was still living with his parents and sister at Station Road, Romsey on the 1911 Census but on 15 July the same year he married Jessie Moore at St John the Evangelist Church in Palmers Green, Enfield. They had a daughter Etheldreda on 17 October 1914 and lived at 3 College Road, Isleworth.
His widow later lived at The Chalet, Shootersway, Berkhamsted, Herts.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Romsey, Hants and initially joined the 171st Labour Battalion of the Devon Regiment (reg. no. 10213), later being transferred as a Gunner (reg. no. 198900) to the Royal Field Artillery.
He died of wounds on 1 May 1918, aged 33, at the 44th Casualty Clearing Station which was then at Arneke and is buried in Arneke British Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £5 and pay owing of £8 7s 9d. She also received a pension of £1 0s 5d a week for herself and her daughter. Jessie obtained probate of his estate on 3 September 1918 at Winchester with effects of £290. She also ordered his headstone inscription while living at The Chalet, Shootersway, Berkhamsted, Herts. it reads: "SADLY MISSED BY HIS WIFE & CHILD WE THANK GOD FOR EVERY REMEMBRANCE OF YOU".
N.B. The Register of Soldiers Effects lists John Pace as Private 192313 in the 171th Labour Company and not as Gunner 198900 with the Royal Field Artillery as on the CWGC website.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
