219201 Pte. John Thomas White British Army Machine Gun Corps 'C' Division 4th Queen's Own Hussars from:13 Regent Street, Newtown, Bristol My Grandfather John Thomas White known to the family as Jack served his King and Country in the Great War 1914-1918. He was born 10th October 1893 in Bristol and in 1914 had been working at Thrissell Engineering Works formerly Brecknolls in Easton, Bristol. He was one of 'Kitcheners Army' and enlisted during a Bristol rally on 28th August 1914. He served with the 4th Queen's Own Hussars. As quoted to me by his son, my uncle, David White in his family tree research the story goes as follows-
My mother later recalled the incident and told me
"Your father and I went to the Colston Hall (Bristol) to witness the scenes, he had no intention to sign up, as being 21 he felt that it was a 'young man's' war."
To her surprise at the end of the rally, when the chairman called for volunteers to come down and sign up, he suddenly jumped up from his seat and said "I am going to join!"
He told mother not to wait for him but to go home as there were virtually hundreds of men waiting to sign up.
She recalled that she was very angry at this but when she got outside she was quickly grabbed by the arm by one of the other single women and then all walked away from the Colston Hall singing 'God save the King' and other patriotoc songs. She said her anger quickly went and she then felt very proud that her then fiancee had joined the army and relieved that she would not face the angry outbursts that many women had to face if their husbands/boyfriends had not come forward to volunteer.
Jack had his call-up papers to join the Reserve Calvary and reported to an army barracks - possibly Tidworth - to be kitted out and was then transferred to the Curragh, Northern Ireland to begin basic training. He stayed in Ireland for the rest of of 1914 and learnt the rudiments of riding a horse in addition to the requirements of being a soldier. In 1915 he became a member of the 4th Queens Own Calvary Machine Gun Corps. He was later promoted to Lance Corporal and hence was number 1 of 6 on the machine gun team and responsible for carrying and sighting the tripod and for firing the machine gun.
He was sent to France sometime after 1st January 1916 and engaged in numerous battles.
Although his cousin Pte. William White of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) died aged 18 on 29th July 1918 on the battlefields, Jack and also his younger brother Bill managed to survive the horrors and returned to marry his fiancee, my Grandmother Lily. They went on to have five children including my late father Jack (named after his own courageous father) and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He died on 15th February 1979 in his highrise flat in Easton, Bristol - a stone's throw from where he was born 85 years earlier.
I represent Jack's large family in saying that we recognise and are thankful for all he and Lily sacrificed for us to give us all a good life and how extremely proud we are of this once fearless soldier.
|