208078 Pte. John Tibbatts British Army 1st Battalion Welsh Guards from:Irving Street, Birmingham (d.1st Dec 1917) John Tibbatts was born on December 19, 1897, the youngest son of Albert and Bridget, and was baptised at St Catherine of Siena Church at the beginning of 1898. We know little of his early years, other than he attended St Catherine’s School. Albert, his father, believed that school was very important and it is certain that John completed his education before beginning his working life.
At the beginning of the Great War in 1914, John, who was by then 17 years old, joined the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Regiment. After training, he was sent to France in 1916, to fight. Life in the trenches was unbearable and it is difficult to imagine the living conditions that these young men were to endure. I can only imagine what it must have been like to live in constant fear of dying, every minute of the day. History books teach us that these soldiers had not only to fear the enemy but also their superior officers, who often gave the order to shoot onsite men who refused to move towards the opposing guns.
Many years ago I talked with my father of his experience of the war and asked the question: What was it like?
"I kept my head down, I prayed a lot, did what I was told to and I thanked God every morning that I woke up alive." I first thought it was glib response from a man who didn't wish to share or relive that traumatic period of his life. But on reflection, I realized that it was how he chose to accept his lot and still not lose the spirit to fight.
It was during the Battle of Cambrai, which began in November 1917 that tanks were first used on a large-scale, although they had been considered of little value in offensive operations, as they were prone to defects in operation. The Commander in Chief, Sir Douglas Haig, disappointed by the lack of progress in the village of Passchendale and attracted by the possibility of obtaining a profitable victory before the end of the year, decided to continue using tanks, supported by infantry. Haig described the purpose of Cambrai operations as "obtaining a local success by a sudden attack." in a place where the enemy was least expecting an attack, and, to some extent, it worked.
The assault approach was novel because artillery had not bombarded the placements beforehand. Tanks were required to pass first through the German wire followed by infantry, concealed by smoke dams (a blanket of smoke bombs)
The attack began early on the morning of 20 November 1917 and advance was remarkable. But, by the 22nd, it was decided to stop and give soldiers time to rest and reorganize, unfortunately for the Allies it also gave the Germans time to strengthen their lines. From 23 to 28 November, fighting was concentrated almost exclusively on Bourlon Wood, and by November 29, it was clear that the Germans were ready for a counterattack.
During the terrible battle of 1st December 1917, and a few days before his 20th birthday, John, like many other young men, lost his life. John is buried with 7047 other men, British and South African, and Canadian who lost their lives during the Battle of Cambrai. "Their Sacrifice is commemorated in the cemetery of Louverval, in the Cambrésis".
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