Name
John Edward Stevens
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/30825
Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment
10th Bn.
"B" Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY
XX. K. 22A.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Kings Langley Village Memorial,
Abbots Langley Village Memorial,
Not on the Rickmansworth memorials
Biography
John Stevens was identified as eligible for inclusion in the Great War records for Abbots Langley when his brother Thomas was recorded in the Absent Voter Records for Abbots Langley in Spring 1919. Thomas was also recorded in the Roll of Honour for Kings Langley.
John, his brother Edward and his father George all served and were all also recorded in the Kings Langley records, and were not included in the Abbots Langley Roll of Honour. However, through birth-place, and address all of these men can be considered Abbots Langley men.
John Stevens’ parents, George Stevens and Alice Ayers were married at St Peter’s Church in Mill End in 1883.
George had previously been living at Two Stones, Uxbridge Road, although he was born in Stoke Poges. Alice was born in Rickmansworth.
John was born in the spring of 1899 at Stoke Poges. He was one of seven children. His father and his brothers Thomas and Edward also served in the Great War. In the 1901 Census the family was recorded living at Rickman’s Hill, Stoke Poges. George worked as a Gas Works Stoker. They had 4 children, Alice Maud, aged 13, born in Stoke Poges, Elizabeth, aged 8 born in Stoke Poges, Thomas aged 5, born in Rickmansworth and John Edward, aged 2, born in Stoke Poges.
By the time of the 1911 Census the family had moved to Primrose Hill, Abbots Langley. George worked as a Labourer at a local Paper Coating Mill. As Primrose Hill was close to the centre of Kings Langley the family may have had more association with Kings Langley, than with Abbots Langley. At this time the children listed were Their children who were living at home at the time were Agnes Louisa, aged 20, a mill worker, Elizabeth, aged 18, a brush worker, Thomas, aged 16, farm labourer, John Edward 11, Harry, aged 9, who had been born in Rickmansworth and Reuben, aged 7.
It is not known when John enlisted at Watford and was formerly in the West Surrey Regiment (service number 29479), however on 8th December 1917 he was noted in the Hertfordshire Advertiser training with the Kings Royal Rifles at Northampton. His Medal Roll noted that at some point he had served with the Royal West Surrey Regiment.
John’s father who was part of the Royal Defence Corps died in Kent on 11 March 1918.
John was killed in action on 31st July 1918, serving with the 10th Battalion of the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment.
The War diaries for the 31st July 1918 noted that a heavy barrage had been laid down by the enemy. Four ‘other ranks’ were killed that day. Lijssenthoek was the location for a number of casualty clearing stations, being on the main communication line between the Allied military bases and the Ypres battlefields.
His death was recorded in the Kings Langley Parish Magazine in September 1918.
“Our hearts, I am sure, go out in fullest sympathy to Mrs Stevens of Primrose Hill, recently bereaved of her husband who was so well known and much beloved in Kings Langley. Mrs Stevens now mourns the loss of her son, who died of shell concussion on the battlefield on July 29th, aged 19”.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission official records indicated that John died on 31st July and was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, which probably indicated that he was wounded on 29th July, and died at the major hospital complex at Lijssenthoek two days later. John was also commemorated on the Kings Langley War Memorial.
John’s brother Thomas survived the War, however his father died on 11th March 1918, serving with the 15th Battalion, Royal Defence Corps at Gravesend, Kent, and his elder brother Edward, a regular soldier from before the Great War, died at Richmond on 18th February 1920.
Additional Information
Formerly 29479, Kings Royal Rifles & Royal West Surrey Regiment
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org, Jonty Wild
