L/Cpl 15429 John Hannaford Trinick

• Age: 20
• From: Salcombe, Devon
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 22nd January 1916
• Commemorated at: Cerisy-gailly Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: II.G.27

John Hannaford Trinick was born on Christmas Day 1895 in Salcombe, Devon, he was the only son of Captain Richard Trinick and his wife Eva May (nee Hannaford). They married in Kingsbridge in Devon in the third quarter of 1890. Richard Trinick went to sea from an early age and the 1871 Census shows him as a 14 year old seaman.

The 1901 Census shows Richard, a native of Salcombe and now aged 44 years, as the proprietor of the Bolt Head Hotel, Salcombe, living with his wife and three young children. His wife is shown as Mary E. and is 38 years of age, born in Marlborough, Devon. John is now 5 years of age and has two siblings; Eva G. aged 7 and Emily D aged 3. Also present are Mary May and Sarah Moyesey both described as sisters. Also present are two boarders and two servants.    

The 1911 Census shows the family are still living at the Bolt Head Hotel. Both parents are present alongside John, now aged 15 and at school, he has three siblings; Eva Gertrude aged 17 an assistant in the business, Emily Dorothy aged 13 and Richard Edward aged 9 who are both at school. Also present are three servants and two visitors. His parents advise that they have been married for 20 years and have had four children all of whom have survived. 

John was educated at Kingsbridge Grammar School, Salcombe. 

In 1911, there were a number of members of the Trinick family, from Salcombe, living in Liverpool, including Susan Trinick, born 1861, and possibly his aunt, who lived at 23 Arnold Street, which might explain why John came to Liverpool to work. Prior to enlisting he was employed by the Booth Steamship Company.

John enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on the 04^th September 1914, joining the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 15429.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915 thus earning his three medals.

He had reached the rank of Lance Corporal when he was killed in action on 22nd January 1916, aged 20.

A report in the Liverpool Echo dated 8^th February 1916 states;

“Lance Corporal John H. Trinick of the “Pals” has been killed at the front.  He was a clerk in the employ of Messr's Booth & Co.’s shipping office at Liverpool and to his parents (Captain and Mrs Trinick of Salcombe, South Devon) much sympathy will be extended”. It quotes from a letter which it attributes to the chaplain of the 89^th Brigade: “In him I have lost one of the most trustworthy and promising NCOs and the Machine Gun Section loses one of their number who will be greatly missed. Your son died from the effects of his wounds and shock. I am glad to add that he was unconscious till he died and therefore did not suffer. Again expressing my very deep and sincere sympathies with you in the loss of your brave boy, who died doing his duty.  He always did it and well”. 

De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour 1914-1918 cites the same letter but says it was written by 2^nd Lieutenant E. Trevor-Lewis who also wrote:

“He was close to the spot in the trenches where a High Explosive shell fell. The explosion shattered his right arm and he received one wound to the head and another in his thigh. Again expressing my deep and sincere sympathy with you in the loss of your brave boy, who died doing his duty well. He always did it well”.  

He was originally buried at Maricourt Military Cemetery but after the was when graves were concentrated his body was exhumed and reburied at at Cerisy- Gailly Cemetery, France. He now rests at Grave II G 27.

Gailly was the site of the 39th and 13th Casualty Clearing Stations during the early part of 1917, and of the 41st Stationary Hospital from May 1917 to March 1918. The villages were then captured by the Germans, but were retaken by the Australian Corps in August 1918. Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery (originally called the New French Military Cemetery) was begun in February 1917 and used by medical units until March 1918. After the recapture of the village it was used by Australian units. The cemetery was increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme and a number of small cemeteries including:- MARICOURT MILITARY CEMETERY which was at the South-East corner of the village, on the road to Clery. It was begun by French troops in December, 1914, and was known to the French by the name of Ferme Caudron. It was taken over by British troops in August, 1915, and used until July, 1916. It contained the graves of 887 French soldiers, 260 from the United Kingdom and six German.  The cemetery now contains 745 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 114 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate five casualties buried at Maricourt and Ste. Helene whose graves could not be found. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

John is commemorated on the Salcombe War Memorial.

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