Name
John William Spurr
19 January 1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/10/1917
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
2479
Lancashire Fusiliers
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MONT HUON MILITARY CEMETERY, LE TREPORT
VI. B. 13A.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Memorial, Hemel Hempstead
Pre War
John William Spurr was born in Hemel Hempstead, Herts on 19 January 1893, the son of William and Mercy Spurr, and baptised at St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead on 17 February 1893. He was one of eleven children, although by the 1911 Census, four of them had died.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 63 Queen Street, Hemel Hempstead where his father was working as a Corporation Porter. By 1911 the family had moved to 25 Cherry Bounce, Hemel Hempstead and 17 year old John was working as a Groom.
He was living at Bury Lancashire at the time of enlistment. On pension records his mother was living at Cherry Bounce, Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war he was working in Bury, Lancashire and enlisted in August 1914 with the Lancashire Fusiliers. He was sent to Hull to for training with the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion and was posted overseas with the 1st Battalion, leaving on 16 March 1915 for Gallipoli via Egypt.
He took part in the landing at Cape Helles on 25 April, when the Battalion were met by deadly fire from hidden machine guns which caused a great number of casualties, but also resulted in the award of 6 Victoria Crosses for bravery. At the end of the Gallipoli campaign the Lancashire Fusiliers were evacuated to Egypt in January 1916 and landed in Marseille, France two months later. He then fought in the Somme Offensive at the Battle of Albert and the Battle of the Transloy Ridge.
The following year there was action at the Battles of the Scarpe and the Arras Offensive. John was severely wounded in the neck during the Battle of Poelcapelle and was admitted to the No. 3 General Hospital, Le Treport where he he eventually succumbed to his wounds nineteen days later on 28 October 1917, aged 24. He is buried in Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £18 10s and pay owing of £7 16s 2d. She also received a pension of 15 shillings a week.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com.
