Private R/36204 John Henry BASTOCK

South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One

Corporal R/36204 John Henry BASTOCK - 16th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps

Died as a PoW on Monday, May 14th 1917 aged 24

Military History


Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	British War & Victory Medals	Niederzwehren Cemetery

Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
After 1 Jan 1916	~	Warwick (Eleanor Cross) War Memorial
		Warwick St. Paul
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Warwick Avenue of Trees
Died whilst a Prisoner of War	May/June 1915

Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units	Other War Memorials
Langansalza Military Hospital, Germany

Service Rank

There is some confusion over John's rank and he is listed as a Rifleman, Corporal or Sergeant depending on which source is used, we have used Corporal. The rank also affects the calculator we used to identify enlistment month and year as it is based on the War Gratutity where the amount paid depended on Rank:

Rifleman - CWGC Records - Enlistment date 15 Jan to 14 Feb 1915
Corporal - Red Cross Records; Pension Card; Register of Effects; Soldiers Who Died in the Great War; Medal Roll. Enlistment date 15 May to 14 Jun 1915
Sergeant - Medal Card; Newspaper Report. Enlistment date 15 Sep to 14 Oct 1915

Circumstances of Death

Charles is listed as dying on 14 May 1917 at the Langansalza POW Camp Military Hospital War in Germany, having initially being reported as missing. Red Cross records [click here] [here] and [here] show that John was captured on 23 April 1917 in the Arras sector and he was then held in the Military Hospital at the Langansalza Prisoner of War Camp at Bad Langensalza, Germany where he died on 14 May 1917. The 16th Battalion war diary for the 22nd, 23rd and 24th April 1917 are transcribed below.

April 22^nd - 3.15am: 15^th Inf Bde [Infantry Brigade] O.O.97 [Operational Order] received saying that on Z day 1^st Norfoks and 1^st Bedfords will attack and capture German Trenches. 16^th R. War. R will be in support in La Chaudiere Trench.

1.55pm: - 15^th Inf Bde O.O.98 received saying that 16^th R. War. R will be in support – 2 Coys in La Chaudiere Trench S.6.c.1.4 with two Coys at S.18.a.1.3. Message from Bde saying that Z Day was the 23^rd and zero hour 4.45am.

8.45pm: Bn moved to positions per 15^th Inf Bde O.O.98

April 23^rd – 7.30am: Message to say that 1^st Bedfords were hung up by wire and machine guns

9.50am: I ordered B Coy to move up to Cyril Trench to take up following positions: 2 platoons in trench between T.1.c.9.2 and T.1.c.4.4; 2 platoons from S.6.d.95.55 and S.6.d.4.7. I notified Bde to this effect.

11.50am: Message from B Coy to say that Cyril Trench was impossible owing to heavy barrage

11.55am: I ordered B Coy to withdraw to original position in front of Battn HQ.

4pm: I moved C & D Coys to trench from T.7.a.6.3 to S.12.a.7.3. D Coy on right C Coy on left

4.25pm: 15^th Inf Bde O.O. No 1 received to say that there would be a relief by a Bn of the 13^th Inf Bde

5.10pm: At the request of the O.C. 1^st Bedfords I sent a Lewis Gun team to T.1.c.5.7.

6.20pm: 15^th Inf BDe relief orders received saying that Bn would be relieved by the 15^th R. War. R and 1^st R. West Kents and on relief would be in reserve in Viny-Angres line with HQ in Givenchy S.11.c.3.7

April 24^th –11.30am: Message from 15^th Inf Bde to say that the Battn could withdraw to Bertonval Wood where further instructions would be received. At Rugby Dump Battn received instructions to move to Cambligneul.

6pm. Battn arrived at Cambligneul.

Casualties during Operations 14^th to the 24^th:
                        Officers                       O.R.
Killed                    0                             15
Wounded              3                             63
Missing                1                              2

Personal & Family History

Birth Date/Place	Baptism Date/Place
Apr Qtr 1893 in Warwick	21 Feb 1894 at Warwick, All Saints

Parents Names	Abode
John and Sarah Bastock	24 Bridge Street, Warwick

Wife and Marriage Details	Children
Alice Mabel Bastock nee Fretwell	John Henry born 14 Jun 1911
Oct Qtr 1914 at Warwick	Marian Frances born 30 Dec 1916

Schools	Colleges
	~

Address History	Employment History
1894 - Garden Row, Warwick	1901 - School
1901 - 18 Bridge Street, Warwick	1911 - Gardener's Labourer
1911 - 24 Bridge Street, Warwick
1914 - 38 Park Street, Warwick

Brother of Willam Bastock who also fell
Warwick War Memorial Project Biography

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