Private 48682 John Thomas Cherrington

Killed in Action on Thursday, 3rd May 1917, age 32.
Commemorated on Bay 3 of Arras Memorial, Pas De Calais, France.

13th Bn., The King's (Liverpool Regiment). 9th Brigade of 3rd Division.
Formerly 51697 Notts and Derby Regiment.

Husband of Mrs Elizabeth Cherrington, of 5, Victoria Road, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial. Also listed on the lost Palethorpe’s Roll of Honour.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/744255/

Genealogical Data

Birth of John Thomas Cherrington registered September quarter 1885 in Dudley.

1901 Census
3 Court 3 House, Coneygree Road, Tipton, Staffs.
Stephen Cherrington (59, Labourer in Ironworks, born Tipton), his wife Ann (61, born Tipton), and ther son John T. (16, Caster in Iron Foundry, born Tipton), and their grandson Stephen (10, born Tipton).
NB Living next door at 3 Court 2 House was the Littlewood family including his future wife Elizabeth (16, Domestic Servant).

Marriage of John Thomas Cherrington and Elizabeth Littlewood registered June quarter 1904 in Dudley.

1911 Census
6 Victoria Road, Tipton, Staffs.
James Littlewood (56, Widower, Labourer in Sausage Factory, born Dudley), his 4 sons: John (22, Labourer in Sausage Factory, born Dudley), James (20, Foundry Moulder, born Dudley), Albert George (15, Foundry Moulder, born Dudley), and Samuel (14, Foundry Moulder, born Dudley).(20, Foundry Moulder, born Dudley).
Also his son-in-law and daughter with their children:
John T Cherrington (25, Stoker, born Dudley Port), his wife Elizabeth (26, born Dudley), and their 3 children: Gladys E. (6, born Tipton), James R. (3, born Tipton), and John T. (5 months, born Tipton).

Personal Data

John T. Cherrington is commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial as JJ Cherrington, this is a sign-writer error as the 'Staffordshire Roll of Honour' records JT Cherrington.

After John's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £1/16/5d (1 pound, 16 shillings and 5 pence); this was paid to his widow, Elizabeth, in April 1918. His War Gratuity was £3/0/0d (3 pounds exactly), this was also paid to Elizabeth in October 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that John had enlisted within the 12 months prior to his death.

John's widow, Elizabeth, was awarded a Widow's Pension of £1/6/3d (1 pound, 6 shillings and 3 pence) per week for herself and her 3 children, this was effective from 28th January 1918. She was also awarded a Grant of £5 on 28th August 1918. Her address at this time was 5 Victoria Road, Tipton.

Action resulting in his death

The Third Battle of the Scarpe 3rd-4th May 1917
By late April 1917, it was clear that the French Nivelle Offensive had failed and the French troops were in mutiny. The attacks of the 3rd and 4th May 1917 were in response to French appeals to keep the German army from moving troops south to take advantage of the French disarray. Haig decided to launch a two pronged attack: the Third Army would attack along the Scarpe valley and make another attempt (the fifth) to capture Roeux, the Fifth Army further south at Bullecourt.

The 13th King's (Liverpool Regiment) were part of 9th Brigade, 3rd Division. The Division was on the eastern side of Monchy-Le-Preux and were to attack eastwards towards Bois du Sart and Bois du Vert, in the direction of Boiry Notre Dame. The attack began at 03.45, before daybreak. German machine gun and artillery fire was heavy and accurate, and the troops lost direction and cohesion. Generally the attack by the 3rd Division broke down and the day ended with many men stranded in no-man's-land waiting for darkness to attempt to get back to the starting line. On the left of the Division, parties of the 9th Brigade (which included the 13th King's) gained their objective - the Bois du Sart - before counter-attacks drove them back.

71 men of the 13th King's were to lose their lives on that day, amongst them Pte John Cherrington. Like many of these men, John Cherrington's body was never identified, and he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.

For more detail, the following is a trancription of the War Diary for 3rd May 1917:
About 1.00am the Battalion moved towards their assembly position and at 3.45 am the two leading Companies moved out of the front-line trench. Strong Lewis Gun fire was maintained on the enemy’s front line to prevent his escaping the barrage by leaving his trenches.
Notwithstanding the difficulty presented by the darkness, which had not lifted, the leading Companies hugged the barrage, although assailed by heavy machine gun fire, and the attack progressed to a line running North and South about 100 yards East of Bois Des Aubepines.
A hostile counter-attack was launched at the leading Companies from the West and North-East. It was completely beaten back, but the line was greatly depleted by Machine Gun and rifle fire from the Northern flank and also from the North-Westerly direction, which took it in the rear. A second and strong hostile counter-attack which was delivered from the North flank was met very gallantly, but the line was by this time so thin, no support having come up, that a withdrawal was necessary to prevent the troops being cut off. The withdrawal was carried out in good order in conjunction with the 4th Royal Fusiliers, back to the original front-line trench.

Newspaper Cuttings

Birmingham Daily Post 16th July 1917
RANK AND FILE: MIDLANDS MEN.
The following casualties amongst warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men are reported under various dates:
Previously reported wounded and now reported wounded and missing.
King's (Liverpool) Regiment, Cherrington, 48682, J.T., (Tipton).