Name
John Braithwaite Chennells
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/03/1915
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sergeant
1470
London Regiment *1
1st/13th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Panel 45.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Watford Congregational Church Memorial
Pre War
Son of Jane (nee JONES) CHENNELLS of Hampton, Middx, and the late Henry CHENNELLS.
His parents married 28 May 1890 at Sts Peter & Paul, Little Gaddesden, Herts. Henry died 1896 in the Midhurst, Sussex, district aged 32, and was buried 13 May, somewhere in Sussex; Jane possibly died 2 March 1932 in Hampton, Middx, aged 69.
John was born 1892 in Petworth, near Colchester, Essex [tho’ this should more likely be near Chichester, Sussex], and resided in Watford.
On the 1901 Census, a scholar aged 9 he lived in Little Gaddesden, with his widowed mother and no siblings. On the 1911 Census, a designer of oriental carpets aged 19, he lived in Watford, with his widowed mother and no siblings.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Kensington, London; was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 1914, and died at Estaires of wounds received in action.
Additional Information
There are articles about John in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 10 April 1915, the Watford Illustrated also dated 10 April 1915 and 17 April 1915; plus an In Memoriam of the Observer dated 22 March 1919. Unfortunately, John’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (Kensington).
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
