Pte 36661 John Seddon

• Age: 24
• From: Farnworth, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 26th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Wancourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.H.6

John Seddon was born in Farnworth, Lancashire in 1892 to Peter Seddon, born in Kearsley, Lancs, and his wife Alice (nee Sixsmith) born in  Tyldesley, who married in Bolton Register Office in 1875. John was baptised on the 24^th July 1892 in All Saints, Farnworth.  His parents had eleven children, of whom four died. John was the sixth of the surviving children, his siblings listed on Census records include Betsey, Daniel, Alice, William, Lily, and James. Also raised as a brother is Richard Sixsmith, a child of his mother’s before marriage. 

At the time of the 1901 Census the family is living at 12 Annie Street, Bolton. His father is a coal miner/hewer, Daniel, 21, is a miner/hewer like his father, William aged 13, is a piecer in a cotton mill, Lily is 11, John 8, and James 5. 

In 1911 Census the family have moved to 180 Hall Lane, Farnworth. His father is a labourer in a sewage works, John is 18 and listed as a general labourer in bleach works (‘croft’ crossed out), William is 23, James H 15.  Also in the household are his brother Daniel, 30, with his wife and three daughters.   

As John’s service record has not survived, the details of his military service are not known.  The medal card and roll show he earned two medals, which suggests he did not serve overseas until 1916. 

He enlisted in Farnworth, and served as Private 36661, 20^th (Pals) Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment. After training in the UK, John shipped to France. 

In April 1917 the 20^th Battalion was in trenches at Heninel, southeast of Arras, taking over abandoned German trenches after their strategic withdrawal.

 The Battalion War Diary records :

26^th April  4.a.m. Support line shelled by enemy with 5.9” shells.  Throughout the day and, in fact throughout the battalion’s stay in the forward positions, the enemy shelled our support and reserve lines, the quarry, and the sunken road between N.30.a and N.30.b at irregular intervals but considering the number and calibre of the shells sent over, our casualties were exceedingly light.

9 p.m.  A Company of the 19^th Battn K.L.R. commenced the collection and burial of the many dead lying in the vicinity of A and B Companies, but after about an hour operations were stopped by continuous German shelling.

27^th April 3 a.m.  The support and reserve Companies were heavily shelled during the night, and work out of the trenches was very difficult.

Pte John Seddon was one of the casualties, killed on 26^th April 1917, aged 24. 

He now rests at Wancourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais. 

Wancourt was captured on 12 April 1917 after very heavy fighting and the advance was continued on the following days. The cemetery, called at first Cojeul Valley Cemetery, or River Road Cemetery, was opened about ten days later; it was used until October 1918, but was in German hands from March 1918 until 26 August, when the Canadian Corps recaptured Wancourt. At the Armistice, the cemetery contained 410 graves, but was very greatly increased in the following years when graves were brought in from the following small cemeteries and isolated positions on the battlefields south-east of Arras including HENIN-SUR-COJEUL, about 800 metres North of the village, contained the graves of 29 British soldiers who fell on 9 April 1917, almost all of whom belonged to the 2nd Wilts or the 18th King's Liverpools. The cemetery now contains 1,936 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 829 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 76 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to 20 who were buried in Signal Trench Cemetery whose graves were destroyed in later battles. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His effects went to his father and brother Daniel.  (His mother appears to have died in 1915).  His father Peter, at 180 Hall Lane, Farnworth, received his pension, but died in 1919. 

John is commemorated on the Farnworth Memorial.

We currently have no further information on John Seddon, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.