Rifleman R/13451 John Thomas Warmer
Died of Wounds on Sunday, 23rd July 1916, age 18.
Commemorated on Pier and Face 13 A and 13 B of Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
15 Platoon, 'D' Company of 2nd Bn., King's Royal Rifle Corps. 2nd Brigade of 1st Division.
Son of Mrs Caroline Cartwright, of 7, Walton St., Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Wolverhampton, Resident: Tipton.
First landed France & Flanders, 8th October 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives survived and transcribed.
Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.
Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/819330/
Genealogical Data
Birth of John Thomas Warmer registered December quarter 1897 in Dudley. John was christened at St. Paul's Church, Owen Street, Tipton, on 9th January 1901.
John's father, George Warmer, died in September quarter 1900, at just 27 years of age. This was just a few months after the birth of his third child, Ethel May.
1901 Census
46 Wood Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Ann Marie Vanes (59, Widow, born Tipton), her 3 sons: John Thomas Vanes (17, General Labourer, born Tipton), George Henry Vanes (16, General Labourer, born Tipton), and Noah Vanes (14, Coal Wharf Labourer, born Tipton), also her widowed daughter Caroline Warmer (25, Widow, Boarder, born Tipton), and Caroline's 3 children : Mary Ann Warmer (6, born Tipton), John Thomas Warmer (4, born Tipton), and Ethel May Warmer (1, born Tipton).
Caroline Warmer (nee Vanes) married William Cartwright in 1903; she had 3 further children with WIlliam.
1911 Census
32 Wood Street, Tipton, Staffs.
William Cartwright (34 , Miner - Horse Driver, born Tipton), his wife Caroline (34, born Tipton), Caroline's 3 children from her first marriage: Mary Warmer (16, born Tipton), John Warmer (13, Labourer, born Tipton), and Ethel May Warmer (12, born Tipton), and William and Caroline's 3 children: Mary Cartwright (6, born Tipton), Caroline Cartwright (4, born Tipton), and William Cartwright (2, born Tipton).
Personal Data
John Warmer enlisted with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) on 26th May 1915 in Wolverhampton; he stated that he wished to subsequently transfer to the Royal Field Artillery. He had been employed as a Labourer, and that his next of kin was his mother, Mrs Caroline Cartwright.
At a medical examination by the Tipton G.P. Dr. Harold Brown, John measured 5 feet 4¾ inches tall, weighed 115 pounds and had a 34-inch chest. He was found to have a slight varicocele (enlargement of the veins in the scrotum), but not enough to report. His physical development was noted as ‘Good’.
John gave a date of birth which equated to him being 19 years and 215 days old. As he was born in December quarter 1897 it is likely that he was 17 years and 215 days old, and so was under-age to enlist.
John joined the 14th (Reserve) Battalion, of the KRRC for infantry training. On 5th June 1915 he was at Belhus Park in Essex, and on 7th October 1915 the battalion moved to Seaford in Sussex.
John embarked from Southampton on 7th October 1915, landing in France on the next day. After a few days at Base Depot, he joined the 2nd Battalion, KRRC on 12th October. The Battalion had lost heavily at the Battle of Loos, having 103 Other Ranks killed between the 25th and 30th September; John would have been one of the reinforcements to bring the Battalion back up to strength.
From the 13th to 17th January 1916, John was receiving treatment at No. 2 Field Ambulance and West Riding Casualty Clearing Station (at Lillers) for an abscess of the connective tissue (upper gum).
From the 18th February to 14th March 1916, John was receiving further treatment, this time at No. 1 Field Ambulance and No.4 Stationery Hospital (at St. Omer). The cause was given as “ICT Legs” – Inter-Connective Tissue. This is a general term which can be tendons etc, or skin, so it could be further abscesses, this time on the legs.
John’s Soldier’s Papers contains a letter that his mother wrote in August 1916 asking for information as she had not heard from John for 5 weeks. Sadly he had been killed 4 weeks before she wrote the letter.
Mrs C. Cartwright, 7 Walton Street, Tipton. August 21st 1916
To the Officer in charge of Records, K.R.R.
Dear Sir,
I am the mother of Rifleman J.T. Warmer, R13451, ‘D’ Company, 15th Platoon, 2nd Batt; K.R.R., B.E.F., France and I wish to know if you can give me any information concerning my son. I have had no news of him for five weeks.
Yours faithfully
Mrs C. Cartwright
After John’s death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £3/11/8d (3 pounds, 11 shillings and 8 pence); this was paid to his mother, Mrs Caroline Cartwright, in November 1917. His War Gratuity was £4/0/0d (4 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his mother, in October 1919.
John’s mother, Mrs Caroline Cartwright, was awarded a Dependant’s Pension of 7/6d (7 shillings and 6 pence) per week, effective from 1st January 1918, this was to be paid “for life”.
Action resulting in his death
The 2nd Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps (2/KRRC) embarked for France on 12th August 1914. They fought at the Battles of the Aisne and First Ypres in 1914, then in 1915 at the Battles of Aubers Ridge and Loos. At Aubers Ridge they suffered heavy casualties, and at Loos they also suffered casualties from British poison gas which blew back on them when the wind changed.
John Warmer joined 2/KRRC on 12th October 1915 as one of the reinforcements to replace the losses suffered at the Battle of Loos.
The 2/KRRC stayed near Loos until it began its move to the Somme on 8th July 1916, first going into the front-line just west of Bazentin-le-Petit Wood from 18th to 20th July. After a short rest, they were to attack the newly-dug German “Switch Line” trench north-east of Pozieres on 23rd July. This was part of the Battle of Pozieres where the Australians distinguished themselves on their first action in France.
John Warmer was in “D” Company, they managed to enter the German trenches; other Companies were only partially successful. Due to the tenacity of German defenders, and the failure of the flanking battalions, 2/KRRC were forced to withdraw with severe losses. The Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Bircham D.S.O., was severely wounded and died that night. 226 Other Ranks became casualties, of whom 65 were killed on that day. John Warmer was one of the 65 Other Ranks dead. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.
A little more detail is given in the 2/KRRC War Diary.
“After an intense artillery barrage lasting 7 minutes, the battalion attacked. The Germans, who had seen us deploying by means of Very lights, at once opened a violent machine-gun fire from the left flank. “D” Company succeeded in penetrating the German lines. The other Companies got in partially. On our left, the Royal Sussex, who were attacking another trench, failed completely as did the 10th Gloucester regiment on our right. The Germans kept up a severe bombing attack from both flanks, and the remains of the battalion were forced to withdraw. Our losses were severe. That day the battalion moved back to the Scots Redoubt area”.
Newspaper Cuttings
Birmingham Daily Post 9th September 1916
CASUALTY LISTS.
RANK AND FILE MIDLANDS MEN.
The following casualties amongst warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men are reported under various dates:
Missing.
K.R. RIF. C.- Warmer, 13451, J.T., (Tipton).