Lance Corporal 11322 John Ball

BMD details:
Born 25 March 1891 at 110 Park Rd, Parr, St Helens.

Census details:
1891 - 12 days old John is living at 110 Park Road, St Helens with parents Enoch (34), Elizabeth (29) and two siblings: Joseph (5), Rachel (1). 1901 - Shows 10 years old John living at 2 Ball Street, St Helens with parents Enoch (44), Elizabeth (39) and six siblings: Joseph Forshaw (15), Rachael (11), Robert (8), Enoch (5), Mary (3), James (1). 1911 - Sees 20 years old 'Coal Miner (Hewer)' John living at 174 Park Road, St Helens with widowed mother Elizabeth (49) and seven siblings: Joseph Forshaw (25), Rachel (21), Robert (18), Enoch (15), James (11), Richard Earnest (8), Margaret (5). Also at the address is grandmother Mary Byder (65).

Notes:
[url=lmem.php?lmem=25]Also Remembered On St Marks, Haydock War Memorial[/url] Age taken from census.

Newspaper entry 'ST.HELENS NEWSPAPER & ADVERTISER' for Friday 25th October 1918. This states that 'Mrs Ball of 174, Park Rd has been officially informed of the death in action of her son, Corporal J.Ball. Corporal Ball enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers and was N.C.O. in charge of a Lewis Gun Team. A comrade in a letter to Mrs Ball states that it was while he was discharging his duties as leader of the team that he was wounded, but instead of seeking treatment at the dressing station he remained at his post and shortly afterwards was again wounded, death being instantaneous. Much sympathy will be felt for Mrs Ball in her loss.' The 'ST.HELENS NEWSPAPER' 28th MARCH 1919 also has an entry from his family refers to his 28th birthday remembrance. The medal index card shows that he first served in a war theatre from the 8th June 1915 - FRANCE. The battalion had gone to France in January so he perhaps enlisted later and was sent out with a draft of men in June. The battalion moved to Egypt in October 1915 and then to Salonika in December 1915 then back to France in July 1918 so if he moved with them he certainly got around. Aunty Martha, from my memory, told me that he had been home on leave and went back on the Friday before he was killed which if true meant he only survived one week after his return being a Friday. The official war diary for the 3rd Battalion shows that they were at Montbrehain on the 4th Oct 1918 and ordered to move off at 0650 hours with an objective of gaining 'Richmond Copse'. Objective being reached at 0730 hours and came under heavy enfilade machine gun fire from LE CATELET and VENDUILE and received many casualties. If he was in charge of a Lewis machine gun he would have been targeted and the story that he was shot by a sniper is a possibility but I think it more likely that he was caught by cross fire from the germans deadly machine guns as the letter from a colleague says he was hit twice. The regimental history does refer to being 'enfiladed on both flanks' in this action. It also refers to being driven back to their starting point so perhaps the intention to recover his body later was not achieved. On reflection I do think his body must have been at the very least identified and his belongings recovered because if he was killed on the 4th it took no time at all for his relatives to be told and they were told he was killed in action ; not missing in action. (Source - Eileen Jaras and her cousin Alan Case who are living relatives of L/Cpl John Ball). [center][pic2]imgs/WW1_people/11322JohnBall.jpg[/pic2][/center] [pic]imgs/WW1_misc/BallJn.jpg[/pic][caption]The St Helens Reporter - Courtesy Ste M[/caption] [pic]imgs/WW1_misc/11322JohnBall.jpg[/pic][caption]The St Helens Newspaper & Advertiser - Courtesy Ste M[/caption] [pic]imgs/WW1_memorials/BallJ_RFs.jpg[/pic][caption]The panel on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial bearing the inscription for Lance Corporal John Ball (Photograph courtesy of Ste M.)[/caption]