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SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
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"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"
17720 Private JOHN WILLIAM RUDD.
6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.
Killed in action, aged 26, on the 28th of September 1916.
Born at Hull. Enlisted at Thirsk, Yorks.
Son of John William Rudd and the late Emma Rudd,
of 23 Harker St, Skelton-in-Cleveland, Yorks,
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Arras Memorial.
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FAMILY:-
1901. John, aged 10 is living at Borrowby-cum-Gueldable, rural district of Northallerton, N Yorks. He was born in Spaldington, Yorks.
His father, also John W, aged 42, is a General Labourer. He was born in Carlton, N Yorks.
His mother, Emma, aged 43, was born in Lyng, Norfolk.
He had a brother Harry, aged 7, born "Landmouth", Yorks and 3 sisters, Isabella, 9, born Landmouth, Annie, 1 and Harriett, 8 mths, both born in Borrowby.
1911. John, aged 20, is working as a Horseman on James Wilkinson's Paradise Farm, Kirkby Knowle, Thirsk, N Yorks. He had been born at Hull.
John's younger brother, Harry, was to die of wounds just after the war ended and is buried in New Skelton Cemetery. See separate entry.
The Commonwealth War Graves certificate states "Son of John William Rudd, of 23, Harker St., Skelton-in-Cleveland, Yorks, and the late Emma Rudd."
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WAR SITUATION.
The 6th Bn, Yorkshire Regiment, were formed at Richmond on the 25th August 1914.
They were attached to 32nd Brigade, part of the 11th (Northern) Division.
In 1915 the Division fought in Gallipoli.
John's Medal Card shows that he was awarded the 1914/15 Star and must have fought with the Battalion in Gallipoli and been one of the fortunate ones who survived.
The Card states that he first entered a theatre of War on the 28th September 1915, "Balkans".
The cards of the other lads of the 6th Battalion, who were killed at Gallipoli also give "Balkans", but they arrived there in July.
In December 1915 the 6th Battalion was withdrawn to Egypt.
On July 1916 it landed at Marseilles and spent the remainder of the War on the Western Front.
The massive bombardment at the end of June 1916 and the July advance continued with a series of offensives into the winter of that year.
The advance stalled for some weeks at the line shown on the map for 15th September.
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A further offensive, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, commenced on the 14th September and lasted until it was called off on the 22nd of that month.
The Battle was notable for the introduction of tanks, 49 in all, by the British.
At the time of John's death the 6th Battalion were defending trenches to the North East of Martinpuich that had been captured against German counter-attacks.
MEMORIAL:-
John is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, which is some 27 miles North. This raises a query, as men who died in the Somme sector at this time with no known grave are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
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