Category Archives: Arras

John Bryan Bishop

Abbey Baptist Church, Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Army, Arras, Other Regiments

John Bryan Bishop
Lance Corporal 4653
1st Battalion Honourable Artillery Company

 Bishop JB photo

John Bishop was the son of Mr. Thomas Bryan Bishop and Mrs. Louisa Bishop, Calne House, 31. College Road.  In the family he was referred to as Jack. He was described as a young man of fine character and a good soldier who was well liked by all.   He was associated to both the King’s Road Baptist Church and also the Baptist Church  in Kingston-upon-Thames where he worked. He was killed in action at Gavrelle on 24th May 1917, aged 23 years and is buried at Mindel Trench British Cemetery, St. Laurent – Blangly on the outskirts of Arras. The grave location is C. 18. 

 The Chronicle of June 22nd 1917 outlined the circumstances of his death when it published a letter sent to Rev. R. Gordon Fairbairn of the King’s Road Baptist Church, by a mutual friend.  Jack “was killed the last time he was up in the trenches.  I made enquires and found he never suffered at all, and that although he lived for a few minutes he was unconscious all the while.  He was in charge of a party which went to draw rations.  They were just taking them from the wagon when a shell burst in the village, and Jack had a bad wound in his leg, and before the doctor arrived he was dead.  They did, of course, everything that was possible, but an artery was broken.”

 Gavrelle was part of the Vimy battle field and a German front line position in April 1917.  It was during the early actions described by Rose Coombs in “Before Endeavours Fade” that  John Bishop lost his life.  “Here was the scene of the attack by the 63rd Royal Naval Division* on April 23rd 1917 and their magnificent defence for many days thereafter through innumerable counter-attacks.  It was held until the 56th London Division, which stubbornly defended it in March 1918, were overwhelmed on the 28th.  The 51st Highland Division recaptured it on August 27th and it was occupied by the 8th Division”.   

(*The 1st HAC battalion was attached to the 63rd Royal Naval Division at the time of John Bishop death.)

A  further reminder of the struggle which took place on the battle fields around Arras is also located in St. Laurent- Blangly, here lies the large German cemetery where over 31,000 men are commemorated, many in a mass grave.

Arthur George & Charles William Thear

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Registered War Grave, Somme

 Arthur George Thear
Private 2613
13th Kensington Battalion London Regiment

 AGThear photo  CIMG2145

Arthur George Thear was the  son of Charles and Carrie Thear,  of 12, Victoria Street, Kings Road, Reading. He died of wounds and is buried in a registered war grave number 16097.  His name is commemorated on the scroll headstone of the family grave.

Arthur Thear joined up very soon after the war was declared but as the following newspaper article shows he had hardly been at the front any length of time before he was seriously injured.

The Chronicle April 9th  1915:

“ Private Arthur George Thear, 13th (Kensington Batt.), wounded at Neuve Chapelle, died on Saturday 3rd April at Wandsworth Hospital, and was buried on Wednesday at Reading.  He was only in France two weeks before being wounded.  The toes of one foot were shot off, and the other foot was altogether blown off.  Previous to joining the Army he was a footman in the service of Lord Ilchester at Holland House Kensington W., and at the funeral there was a wreath from the Countess of Ilchester, besides wreaths from many of his friends.

 

 

Charles William Thear
Lance Serjeant 2496
Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders 

Charles W Thear photo

Charles William Thear was the  son of Charles and Carrie Thear,  of 12, Victoria Street, Kings Road, Reading. He was killed in action on 5th August 1916 aged 30.  He is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval. Plot XVI. K. 10.

He is  commemorated on the scroll headstone of his brothers grave. The inscription on the scroll states that Charles Thear was killed in action and buried at Martinpuch.  This may have been the case but after the Armistice a number of smaller cemeteries and battlefield graves were concentrated in larger cemeteries.  Caterpillar Valley is such a cemetery and has been chosen by the Royal Mail to feature on one of its Millennium stamps.

On August 5th 1916 the Somme battle was still raging and a particularly important objective was High Wood on the way to Martinpuch.  Thousands of men died in a number of attempts to capture the wood so that they could press on the Martinpuch, situated near the Albert to Bapaume road.  It was not until 15th September in a major offensive involving tanks that this objective was finally taken.  Charles Thear was killed in one of the unsuccessful earlier attacks.