Private. 2/6th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment. Service number 11873.
Early life:
John’s parents were Eli Cole and Jemima Cole née Creeke (sic.) In the 1891 census they were living at 7, Coppy Row in Oakworth, which is a short terrace of houses on Low Bank Lane, to the North West side of the Golden Fleece public house. Eli was 41 and a worsted weaver, Jemima was 33 and at home and they had four children. Mary Ann was 12 and a worsted spinner, Sarah was six, Esther was three and George was one.
John was born in the last quarter of 1891 and of course his birth was registered in Keighley, but he was highly likely to have been born at number 7, since home births were the norm at that time.
They lived at 7, Coppy Row until 1894/5 when they moved next door to 9, Coppy Row.
They were here until 1896 when they moved to Slack Lane End which is on the junction of Slaymaker Lane and Mackingstone Lane, opposite the larger of the two Slack Lane Baptist Chapels. They then moved to 4, Mill Row (Mill Lane) in 1898 and to 18, Mill Row in 1899.
In 1901 they moved into Keighley, to 18, Park Grove Street and shortly afterwards, to 23, Granville Street. All of these houses would have been rental properties in order for them to be able to move around so often.
By the time of the 1901 census John was nine years old and living at 23, Granville Street, Keighley, with his parents, three sisters and two brothers. They were Sarah aged 15 and a worsted spinner, Esther aged 13 and a worsted spinner. George was aged 11, John aged 9, Lily aged 6 and Joseph aged three. Their father Eli was 51 and a textile machinery mechanic’s labourer.
Also living here was Mary Ann Creek aged 22 and employed as a yarn twister, she was now described as Eli’s Step-daughter. Also with them was Jemima’s mother, she was also named Mary Ann Creek and she was a widow aged 77. Benjamin Creek was Jemima’s brother and he was 30 and a mason’s labourer. Clearly a lot had been going on with the house moves and all the new children being born.
The next year they moved to 30, Redcliffe Street in Keighley.
In 1903 John’s father Eli died aged 53 and his death was registered in Bradford in the second quarter of that year. Jemima was now looking after the family without him and it must have been a real struggle for her, although her mother though quite old, must have been a great support to Jemima along with her brother Benjamin and daughter Mary Ann.
Three years later, Mary Ann Creek (Jemima’s mother) died aged 83 in the first quarter of 1906.
John’s sister Sarah Cole married James William Collier of Aston near York, on 18th February 1911. He was a coal miner and they moved to Rotherham shortly before the census.
In 1911 John was 19 years old and working as an iron borer for Messrs Hall & Stells, textile machinery makers. He was living at 13, Marlborough Street with his widowed mother Jemima aged 53; Esther aged 23 and a cloth weaver; George Willie aged 21 and a fitter of spinning and twisting frames; Lily aged 16 and a worsted yarn spinner and Joseph aged 13 and a worsted spinning frame doffer. There were five wages being brought into the household of six people, so perhaps they weren’t too badly off by then.
Army service:
John attested for the Army on January 2, 1912 with the 3rd Battalion West Riding Regiment Special Reserve at Halifax, service number 9932. He passed the medical the next day, and served with them for two years and 93 days when he purchased his discharge for £3.0s.0d on April 14, 1914. He was living at 63, Emily Street in Keighley at this time. His mother and two brothers were still at 13, Marlborough Street in Keighley.
War service:
John was later living at 9, Carlton Street and very soon after war broke out, he enlisted in Keighley with the 8th Battalion West Riding Regiment with service number 11873. He went out with them to the Gallipoli war theatre, arriving at the island of Lemnos on 7th July, 1915.
He was named as one of ‘Keighley’s Gallant Sons’ in the Bradford Daily Telegraph in 1915:
Cole, John Arthur. Single. 9, Carlton Street. 8th West Riding.
At some point he was transferred to the 10th Battalion West Riding followed by later transfer to the 2/6th Battalion West Riding Regiment. He was wounded six times in his army service although only one of these was serious enough to warrant being sent back to ‘Blighty.’ It’s likely that these wounds resulted in the transfers to the other West Riding battalions after each recuperation. Eventually he was with the 2/6th Battalion at Havrincourt, where he died.
Keighley News 9th September 1916, page 8:
It has been officially announced during the week that the following Keighley soldiers have been wounded: – West Riding Regiment: Private J. Cole (11873).
Keighley News 18th November 1916, page 5:
The following Keighley soldiers have this week been officially reported wounded: – West Riding Regiment: Private J. Cole (11873).
WO-95/3087/1. War diary, 2/6th Battalion West Riding Regiment.
20th November 1917:
The battalion left BERTINCOURT and marched to assembly position in HAVRINCOURT WOOD.
The 62 Division attacked the German lines from near CANAL DU NORD. The 185th Brigade on the right & 187 Brigade on the left. 186 Brigade in support. The first objective was from CANAL (Junction of SUNKEN ROAD & RAILWAY) & along the RAILWAY. This line was very soon reached with very few casualties. The co-operation of Tanks made this quite easy. HAVRINCOURT fell into our hands without showing much resistance. The second objective was from CANAL (X ROADS) along road to SUNKEN ROAD. The strong point at K.17.c. was included. The line soon fell into our hands & a large number of prisoners were taken. The 186 Brigade went forward & took up a jumping off position on the line. The battalion took up a position from CANAL and immediately swept forward. The ground attacked & won by the battalion was as follows: LOCK No. 6 of CANAL, HUGHES SUPPORT along SUNKEN ROAD and HINDENBURG SUPPORT TRENCH. The attack was a complete success & two officers & 165 men, 1 battery of 5.9. Howitzers, 1 battery of 77 mm Field guns, 1 light trench mortar & 1 machine gun were captured & 10 machine guns were destroyed along with their crews. All the time the 2/4 D of W went forward & took GRAINCOURT. The battalion held this position through the night.
John was killed in action on 20th November 1917, during an attack on German trenches near Havrincourt Wood. His body was never found and he is remembered on the Cambrai Memorial at Louerval.
Keighley News 15 Dec 1917 page 3:
Private J. A. Cole, West Riding Regiment, of Carlton Street, Keighley, has been killed in action.
Joining the Army at the outbreak of war and having been at the front for eighteen months, Private Cole was wounded six times, but was only once sent to this country. He was formerly employed by Messrs. Hall & Stell, textile machinery makers, Keighley.
Post war:
John’s brother Joseph and his wife Harriet were living at 22, Kensington Street in Keighley during the 1921 census. His mother Jemima and his sister Sarah were also living here. Sarah was now a widow along with her son Jack aged five. Two other people were boarding with Joseph and Harriet. They were a young couple, William and Elizabeth Hayes aged 23 and 18.
There are no Army service records for John’s Great War service, so we don’t have any information on receipt of his personal effects, but Jemima was his next of kin and probably received his 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal in early 1921, along with a bronze war memorial plaque and scroll inscribed with his name. She did receive his outstanding Army pay which was £7 18s 10d on 4th April 1918 and a one off war gratuity payment of £14 10s 0d on 31st October 1919.
Jemima had a Dependant’s pension and had been receiving 6 shillings per week since 11th June 1918.
In the 1939 register we find Jemima living at 8, Chelsea Street in Keighley with William Humphreys aged 65 and a coal filler and his wife May Ann Humphreys aged 61 on home duties. Jemima is described as a retired invalid.
Jemima died later that year at the age of 82, with her death being registered in Keighley in the last quarter of the year.
Remembrance:
John is remembered in Keighley’s Great War roll of honour book in Keighley Library. He is also likely to be the Cole, J. A. named on the Keighley Sunday Circle memorial board, held in the care of Cliffe Castle Museum.
He is also named on Oakworth’s Great War Centenary roll of honour, on the wall in Oakworth Community Hall.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
1891 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
1901 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915′
1911 England Census.
British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920.
Keighley’s Gallant Sons at Keighley Library.
Bradford Daily Telegraph.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers died in the Great War.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
WO-95/3087/1. War diary, 2/6th Battalion West Riding Regiment.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
1921 England Census.
1939 England and Wales Register.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
