Name
John Ernest Sadler
1881
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
19/07/1917
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
30894
Worcestershire Regiment
9th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BAGHDAD (NORTH GATE) WAR CEMETERY
XX E 14
Iraq
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone.
UK & Other Memorials
Goff's Oak Village Memorial, Goff's Oak Street Name, Cheshunt Town Memorial
Pre War
John Ernest Sadler was born in 1881 in Newmarket, Suffolk, the son of George Henry and Elizabeth Sadler (nee Vickery). The youngest of four children.
1891 Census, John aged 10, his parents, sister Mary (12) are recorded as lodging with Edward and Sarah Fry at, Grafton Place, High Street, Newmarket St Mary, Cams/Suffolk.
1901 Census John (19) is recorded as a gardener, domestic help, working for Frank Edward Bignold a, Clergyman of the Church of England, in Wield Street, Lower Wield in Hampshire.
John married Ada Sarah Wilkinson of Goffs Oak, Herts, the daughter of Charles Alfred and Caroline Sarah Wilkinson, in 1908, the marriage was registered in Edmonton, Middx. They went on to have three children, John William Harry born in 1909, Marjory Roslyn Mary born in 1911 and George Edwin Charles born in 1916. It is believed John’s father George Henry Sadler died in 1908, aged 65.
1911 Census, John was still a gardener/domestic help, but now living at 13, Blake Road, Woodfield, Bicester, Oxfordshire, with his wife and their two children, John (1) and Marjorie (1 month).
Wartime Service
John enlisted at Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire, posted to the 9th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment and issued with the service number 30894.
“The 9th Battalion was raised at Worcester in August 1915, as part of Kitchener’s First Army. On completion of their training they were mobilized for war service, sailing from Avonmouth, on the 19th June 1915 for Gallipoli, via Alexandria and Mudros, landing at Cape Helles in mid July 1915, they were in action at the Battles of Sari Bair, Russell’s Top, and Hill 60, until their evacuation from Helles on 8th & 9th January 1916, to Egypt as part of the Suez Canal Defence Force, on the 12th February 1916, they moved to Mesopotamia, to join the force being assembled near Sheikh Sa’ad, to relieve the besieged Garrison at Kut al Amara, seeing action in various Battles there”.
At the time of his death on the 19th July 1917, aged 36, he was probably in action in Mesopotamia, however it is possible that he died as a result of something other than enemy action.
Additional Information
Ada received a widow’s pension of £1-6s-6d, a week from 28th January 1918, and his effects of £8-2s-4d, pay owing and his war Gratuity of £3,
Some research, including CWGC, shows his place of birth as Abbey Wood. However, Newmarket appears to be the correct location. In June 1997 Broxbourne Borough Council received a suggestion from the Chairman of Goffs Oak Community Association to name roads to commemorate the men who lost their lives in the two world wars who are displayed on the Goffs Oak War Memorial. It was decided that these names should be used for the large development in Hammond Street Road, this soldier has one of the surnames chosen: "Sadler Close" – the reason for the names selected (as opposed to others) is not known.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Brian Lodge
