9th (Service) Battalion, Prince of Wales’s Own, West Yorkshire Regiment. Regimental number 19355.
Early life:
John’s parents were James Walter Ainsworth and Jane Ainsworth née Lofthouse, who were married on the 21st of December 1872 at St. Thomas Church, Leeds.
James was a 32 year old bachelor employed as a file cutter. Jane was a 24 year old spinster. They were both living at Concord Street which was a five minute walk from St. Thomas Church on Melbourne Street.
Almost all of this area including the church has now gone, replaced by industrial units, office blocks and new housing.
John William was born in 1888, registered at Leeds in the second quarter of the year.
In the 1891 census they were living at 70, Primrose Road (which is also now gone) and was less than half a mile to the East of Concord Street. The family were 50 year old father James, a file cutter, 43 year old Jane looking after the family and home; 17 year old daughter Nancy, a buttonhole maker; 13 year old Sam, an errand boy; ten year old Tom, seven year old Harry who would both have been at school and the baby of the family John William aged just two.
By 1901 they had moved again, this time to 70, Pollard Street. James was now 70 and still a file cutter, Jane was 53. Their children still with them were Sam aged 23 and a saddler’s warehouseman, Harry aged 17 was a joiner and carpenter and John, who was aged 12 and probably still at school. There is no mention of Nancy who would have been aged 27 and was probably married, and Tom who would have been aged 20.
Pollard Street is also gone now, it was located just one street to the North of Primrose Road.
Note:
Looking at old maps of the area, it appears that all of these houses were of back to back construction and would likely have been demolished because of the fire hazard and possibly their condition. They were built between 1847 and 1891 and were still standing according to the Ordnance Survey map dated 1933.
Tragedy hit the family with the deaths of their mother Jane, who died aged 53 on or shortly before the 2nd of April 1902 and their father James aged 63, who died on or shortly before, the 17th of July 1903. John would have been aged 13 when his mother died and 14 when his father died. James and Jane are buried in plot 14880 at Beckett Street Cemetery in Leeds.
By 1911 the family were all living separately. John was aged 22 and was living at 3, Strathmore Street at Harehills in Leeds and was an assistant house furnisher.
The head of the householder was his brother Sam Ainsworth who was with his older brother aged 33 and married to Gertrude Margaret Ainsworth née Heed, aged 32. Sam was a commercial traveller dealing in fancy leather good, purses etc., which might be connected to his previous occupation as a saddler’s warehouseman. They had been married for seven years (24th of December 1903) and had two children, Harold Heed Ainsworth aged five and Elsie Ainsworth aged two.
War service:
There are no Army service records for John so we have had to try to piece together his service from other sources. According the war gratuity amount in his Soldier’s Effects record, we think John enlisted in Leigh (Leeds) some time around April 1915. Because he didn’t enlist in Keighley he is not named in either the Keighley Town Clerk’s enlistments or in Keighley’s Gallant Sons.
John married Louise Collinson in Keighley on the 12th of October 1915 which was registered there in the last quarter of that year. Louisa was born in 1886 so she was aged 29, about two years older than John who was aged 27. In the 1901 census she was living with her family at 13, Oakworth Road and in the 1911 census she was 22 and was living with her widowed sister Sarah Jane Hoyle at 32, Colne Street in Keighley. Originally they came from St. Pancras in London. The marriage date shows that they were married whilst he was home on leave, shortly before being sent overseas.
Louisa was the mother of George Richard Collinson who was born in Keighley in the second quarter of 1915. This means that George had been born about six months before John and Louisa were married.
According to John’s medal records, he disembarked on the 20th of October 1915 in war theatre 2b, which was the Gallipoli and Aegean Islands. Whilst he arrived on that date, the Battalion was in the line at SUVLA on Gallipoli and it’s possible that John did not join them until the 20th of November, when the war diary mentions a draft of 2 Officers, 100 NCO’s and men who joined the unit from ‘Base details at LEMNOS’. At this time the Battalion was at KARAKOL DAGH and HALF MOON BEACH. They were in the trenches at WEST STREET, HEEL POST and HEEL GARRISON.
It is likely that John was with them for the next month, serving at the aforementioned places plus SHAFTESBURY AVENUE, LEEMING LANE and SUVLA BAY. The Expeditionary Force finally withdrew from the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 19th of December 1915 and there is an account of this in the war diary.
WO-95-4299. War diary. 32 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters (1917 Jan-Sep)
9th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment.
SUVLA BAY and HALF MOON BEACH.
18/12/1915:
Advanced party proceed to withdraw from SUVLA at 20.30. 9 officers and 502 NCO’s and men, Second Lieutenant A.K. DAY LEWIS command and Embark in a lighter at 23.30 and taken to H.M.S. MAGNIFICENT lying in SUVLA BAY. The party proceed to KEPHALOS, disembark and are taken ashore on lighters at 06.00. Arrive at camp about 07.30, and commence to pitch tents in area (N°I) allotted.
19th December 1915:
2nd Party. Strength 6 officers and 154 NCO’s and men, Capt B.S. EVERS in command, proceed to withdraw from SUVLA leaving SHAFTESBURY AVENUE at 19.40 and were taken down to WEST BEACH where they embarked on H.T.S REDBREAST at 22.30 arriving at KEPHALOS at 02.00 and proceed to Camp. No Casualties.
3rd Party. Battalion Headquarters. A and B Companies. Strength 12 officers and 196 NCO’s and men, Lieutenant Colonel R. Isacke in command, withdrew from & SUVLA Embarking on ‘K’ Lighter at 05.15 arriving at KEPHALOS at 08.00 and proceed to camp.
C Company held posts behind 3rd Line of Defence and A Company THE KEEP. This party being the last to leave SUVLA. No casualties.
The 9th battalion West Yorkshire Regiment left the island of MUDROS on the 2nd of February 1916 for Alexandria, arriving there on the 7th of February. They served in Egypt until June when they embarked and left for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 1st of July (the first day of the Battle of the Somme.)
John would have served with them for the whole of the next year in France, until his death on the 27th of August 1917.
WO-95/1809/2. War diary. 9th West Yorkshire Regiment. 1917.
‘D’ CAMP A.30 central.
1st Aug to 4th Aug:
Battalion located in ‘D’ Camp awaiting instructions regarding forthcoming tour in the line. Enemy occasionally shelled the vicinity of the camp and a good many bombs were dropped by hostile aircraft, no casualties were sustained.
5th Aug:
Orders received today that the Battalion will proceed tomorrow to relieve the 9th Battalion ROYAL SCOTS regiment at the CANAL BANK.
6th Aug:
The Battalion marched out at 12.55pm, en-route for the CANAL BANK.
On arrival at their destination 3 Companies were billeted in dug-outs, whilst one company (‘A’ coy) moved forward and took up a position in the old British Front Line.
7th Aug and 8th Aug:
The remainder of Battalion moved forward, C. & D. Companies occupied the front line with ‘A’ & ‘B’ in reserve. Enemy artillery fire was very intense and the weather conditions were bad.
9th Aug to 13th Aug:
Battalion holding the line. Casualties during this period 10 O.R’s killed. 29 0.R’s. WOUNDED.
14th Aug:
Battalion relieved by 8th Battalion NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS. 7 am. and proceeded to DIRTY BUCKET CAMP. Relief was successfully completed by 11 am.
DIRTY BUCKET CAMP.
15th and 16th:
Nothing of Importance.
17th Aug:
Battalion marched out of camp 2.30p.m. & proceeded to CANAL BANK, the Brigade being in reserve to the 33rd Infantry Brigade.
18th Aug to 25th Aug:
Battalion resting, practising the attack for forthcoming operations etc. On the 24th instant Battle was moved back MURAT CAMP.
26th Aug:
The Battalion moved off at 9 am to take over the portion of the front line held by the 9th Battalion SHERWOOD FORESTERS. Battalion H.Q. was at MAISON BULGARE
27th Aug:
At 1-55 pm the enemy was attacked, the objective for the Battalion being PHEASANT TRENCH from
U.30.d.15.95 to C.6.b.90.15. The intention was to capture & hold this line with the first wave and to establish a line of posts from V.30.b.78.20 to D.1.a.65.20. with the second wave. The disposition of the Battalion was as follows:
First wave ‘C’ Company on the right, ‘D’ Company on the left.
Second wave ‘A’ Company on the right, ‘B’ Company on the left.
Each Company was composed of three platoons; two platoons of each company formed the first lines of the waves; the remaining one platoon formed the second line.
The 8th Battalion DUKE OF WELLINGTON’S REGIMENT was on our left and the 7th Battalion WORCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT, on our right. Both these units took part in the attack, which was made simultaneously by the 11th & 48th Divisions.
At ZERO (1.55 p.m.) a shrapnel barrage was put on the enemy trench. The companies left their assembly trenches immediately & assumed the formation indicated.
Owing to heavy rain the ground was in very bad condition, being impassable in places where shell-holes were continuous and full of water.
The enemy barrage was put down on the LANGEMARCK-WINNIPEG road at 1-58 pm.
The advance was checked by Machine Gun & Rifle fire from PHEASANT TRENCH, which was very strongly held, and from several concrete emplacements West of the trench, the chief of these being VIEILLES MAISONS, which consisted of three buildings.
By the time our barrage lifted to enable our men to enter PHEASANT TRENCH the lines were thinned by casualties, and although a men entered the trench, they were unable to remain there.
One house at VIEILLES MAISONS was captured and a line of posts was formed East of BULOW FARM, running parallel with PHEASANT TRENCH.
28th Aug:
The line of posts taken up the previous day was consolidated & the whole of VIEILLES MAISONS passed to our hands without opposition.
29th Aug:
The Battalion was relieved by the 6th Battalion GORDON HIGHLANDERS and proceeded to billets in POPERINGHE.
Total casualties for the tour in the line:_
KILLED: 3 Officers, 62 O.R’s.
WOUNDED: 8 Officers, 144. 0.R’s.
MISSING: 0 Officers, 17 0.R’s.
POPERINGHE.
30th Aug: Battalion Bathing. Issue of clean clothing etc.
31st Aug: Battalion Bathing. Issue of clean clothing etc.
Keighley News:
John died during the attack on the 27th of August and was posted missing. There is no mention of his death in local newspapers but from the Pension card we know that Louisa was notified on the 28th of September 1917.
Remembrance:
Private John William Ainsworth has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Panel 42 to 47 at Ypres (Ieper) in Belgium. He was 29.
He is named in the Borough of Keighley Great War roll of honour book at Keighley Library, but his name is one of the twenty added in 1934, so he appears in the back of the book in a separate alphabetical section.
He may be the J. Ainsworth on the Sun Street Methodist Chapel war memorial in storage with Cliffe Castle Museum, although this name appears in the ‘served and returned’ lists for this memorial.
Post war:
Hi widow Louisa was living at 153, Ingrow Lane in Keighley after the war.
She would have received his personal effects plus his medals which were the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, which usually arrived in 1920 or 1921. She would also have received a bronze war memorial plaque and memorial scroll inscribed with his name.
Louisa also received his outstanding Army pay amounting to £3 17s 1d on the 20th of April 1918 and a war gratuity payment of £10 10s 0d paid in two instalments of £3 10s 0d on the 1st of December 1919 and a second payment of £7 on the 1st of January 1920.
Their daughter Sarah Jane was born on the 29th of April 1918 and her birth was registered at Leeds in the second quarter of the year.
Louisa also applied for a dependant’s pension and received a £5 grant on the 30th of May 1918. She received a weekly payment of 13 shillings and nine pence for herself and 5 shillings per week for George Richard Collinson (born before wedlock), totalling 18 shillings and nine pence. This began on the 29th of April 1918.
This was later increased to 22 shillings and 11 pence to include their daughter Sarah Jane who was coincidentally born on the 29th of April 1918 and a birth certificate was produced to prove this on the 26th of June 1918. A request of 5 shillings was also made, presumably to make up for the shortfall between the date of Sarah’s birth and the production of the birth certificate.
Louisa’s element of the pension was for life but the children’s expired on their 16th birthdays and for George this was the 22nd of June 1931 and for Sarah it was the 29th of April 1934.
During the pension application process Louisa’s address was 5, Morley Street in Keighley, but later she moved to 58, Britannia Square.
In the 1921 census, Louisa was a widow aged 35 and boarding with the Goodchild family at 7, Rhodes Place in Keighley. Also boarding here were her son George aged six and daughter Sarah aged three. Louisa was aged 35 and not employed but she would have been receiving the dependant’s pension. George was attending Eastwood Council School.
We found no further records for Louisa Ainsworth after the 1921 census, either as Ainsworth or Collinson and we are not aware of any subsequent marriage.
George appears to have married Violet Lamb of 100, Turkey Street in late 1939.
He died aged 71 and his death was registered at Keighley in the second quarter of the year.
Sarah was married to George H. Abson in Keighley in 1938. Their marriage was registered at Keighley in the third quarter of the year.
In the 1939 Register Sarah Abson was aged 21 and living at 23, Sandywood Street in Keighley as a married but unpaid housewife. There is also a redacted record for this address, possibly a child.
Sarah died at the age of 85 in 2004 and her death was registered at Keighley in the second quarter of the year.
Information sources:
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
1891 England Census.
1901 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915.
UK and Ireland, Find a Grave® Index, 1300s-Current.
1911 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
The Long, Long Trail website, Prince of Wales’s Own, West Yorkshire Regiment.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007.
1921 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005.
1939 England and Wales Register.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
