2nd Lieutenant, 8th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment.
Early life:
John was born in Oakworth in the early part of 1894 to parents Jonas and Ann Sugden. His birth was registered in Keighley in the first quarter of the year. In 1901 he was seven and was living at 9, Cackleshaw, Oakworth with his
parents, one sister and two brothers. His father was a stone mason and contractor running his own business.
By 1911 he was seventeen years old and working as a bank clerk for Liverpool and Martin’s Bank, probably at Skipton. The family home was at John Street in Oakworth.
His father had retired and was chairman of Oakworth Urban District Council.
War service:
In January 1916 he began training with the Inns of Court Officer Training College and became a second Lieutenant on June 7. He was posted to the 1/6th Battalion West Riding Regiment and served with them until October 26 1916, when he was transferred to the 8th Battalion West Riding Regiment.
8th Battalion West Riding Regiment – War diary entry for August 1917:
POPERINGHE, then to CANAL BANK.
August 7. 9. pm Battalion moved off. 11.30 pm. Battalion arrived. Relieved the 4th Gordons.
August 8. Battalion holding line. 2/Lt W. Susman wounded.
August 9: Battalion holding line. 2nd Lt. J. P. Sugden. Missing believed prisoner of war. Casualties, other ranks – from Aug 6th to Aug 12th – 22 Killed, 83 wounded, 11 missing.
Keighley News August 18, 1917.
LIEUTENANT J. P. SUGDEN MISSING
News has been received this week that Second Lieutenant J. P. Sugden, son of Mr. Jonas Sugden, Chairman of the Oakworth District Council, has been missing since August 8. Lieutenant Sugden [illegible, may read: ‘was recently home on leave,’] and only about a month ago joined his regiment in France. Beyond the receipt of the letter announcing the fact that he was missing, nothing has yet been heard of his whereabouts.
His father wrote twice to the Red Cross in August and September 1917 to see if he was listed as a prisoner of war but their records show he was not recorded anywhere as a prisoner and it appears he most probably died on the battlefield. Further information came from an unusual source when a German prisoner of war made a statement about him.
Keighley News November 10, 1917. page 3
SECOND-LIEUTENANT J. P. SUGDEN.
Further news has been received by Mr. Jonas Sugden (chairman of the Oakworth District Council) respecting his son, Second-Lieutenant John Padget Sugden. Lieutenant Sugden was some time ago reported missing. From further communications with the War Office it appears that a German prisoner, now interned in England, has made a statement that during the night of August 9-10 or 10-11, Second-Lieutenant Sugden was killed by a shot in the chest by a patrol on the Steenbeck, death being instantaneous. The body was recovered by German troops and buried on the following morning at the place shown on the enclosed sketch.” The War Office, in a covering letter, say: “This statement has been carefully considered, and as nothing further has been heard of Second-Lieutenant Sugden since he was reported missing on August 8, the Army Council are regretfully constrained to conclude that he was killed in action on or about that date, and I am to express their sympathy with you in your bereavement.”
Post war:
He was entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service.
Remembrance:
John’s body was never found and he is remembered on the Menin Gate at Ypres, along with 55,000 other names of the
missing.
He is remembered locally on the Oakworth War Memorial, Oakworth Wesleyan roll of honour board, The Bank of Liverpool and Martin’s Limited, Skipton branch war memorial (now lost) and on the Barclays Bank memorial at Liverpool.
His name is inscribed on the Sugden family gravestone in Dockroyd Graveyard.
Keighley News 1st December 1917, page 5:
OAKWORTH DISTRICT COUNCIL. TRIBUTE TO A FALLEN OFFICER.
A monthly meeting of the Oakworth District Council was held on Thursday evening, when the members present, were Messrs Jonas Sugden (chair- man), Roper, Hudson, Wright, Bairstow, Hutchinson, J. H. Heaton, and R. Heaton.
THE LATE LIEUTENANT SUGDEN.
Mr. J. H. Heston proposed a vote of condolence with the chairman in the very great and irreparable loss sustained by him in the death in action of his son (Lieutenant J. B. Sugden) Lieutenant Sugden, he said, was a young man of splendid physique and exemplary character, and full of bright promise for a successful career. He moved that the Council accord its sympathy to the family and relatives and Miss Moore in the very deep loss they had sustained. Mr. R. Heaton seconded the motion. He said they all felt deeply with their chairman in this loss They had for many weeks hoped that the life of the lad might have been spared, but that hope had not been realised. They all admired the way in which their chairman had conducted his many public duties while carrying a load of anxiety and doubt as to the safety of his son, and they all hoped that in the continued discharge of those public duties he might have the strength and wisdom and grace given to him which they all needed at the present time. They further hoped that the chairman, and all near and dear to him who had gone, might live to have the satisfaction of knowing that the sacrifice he had made had not been in vain, but that there would be such a change in the method of settling international disputes as to make it impossible to have a recurrence of the bloodshed and sorrow we saw all around. The young men out there were realising, and we were realising, that they could Lot save their home and friends and country and save themselves at the same time. He desired, not only for the Council but for the whole of the ratepayers of the district, to express their sympathy, in the hope that it might in some small way compensate their chairman for and reconcile him to the great loss which he had sustained.
Mr. Hudson supported the motion, endorsing what had been said before.
The motion was carried in the usual way, and was briefly acknowledged by the Chairman.
