John Lavelle likeness

John Lavelle cap badgePrivate John Lavelle

10th (Service) Battalion Highland Light Infantry
Service No: 12874

John Lavelle grave

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Personal details

Family Information

Son of Charles Lavelle and stepson of Margaret Lavelle of Anagher, Coalisland, Co. Tyrone. John's Will states "In the event of my death, I give all my property and effects to my sister, Sarah Lavelle, Anagher, Coalisland, County Tyrone. Signed John Lavelle. No 12874. July 31, 1915. 10th Highland Light Infantry." From the 1901 Ireland Census - Address - 79 Coalisland, Tullyniskane, Tyrone, Ireland - Charles Lavelle aged 40, John Lavelle aged 15, Joseph Lavelle aged 14, Sarah Lavelle aged 12. John's Pension was awarded to his father and mother.

Born / Resided

Balnakelly, Coalisland, Co. Tyrone / 77 Whifflet St, Coatbridge with his Aunt.

Died

Killed in Action on the 25/09/1915 near Cambrin on the opening day of the Battle of Loos

Enlisted

Coatbridge 1914

Employed

Wire Works of William Bain and Company.

Age

29

Buried / Remembered

Loos Memorial (Panel 108 to 112), Pas de Calais, France

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The Loos Memorial commemorates over 20,000 officers and men who have no known grave, who fell in the area from the River Lys to the old southern boundary of the First Army, east and west of Grenay, from the first day of the Battle of Loos to the end of the war. On either side of the cemetery is a wall 15 feet high, to which are fixed tablets on which are carved the names of those commemorated. At the back are four small circular courts, open to the sky, in which the lines of tablets are continued, and between these courts are three semicircular walls or apses, two of which carry tablets, while on the centre apse is erected the Cross of Sacrifice.

Additional Information

John and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 12/05/1915 and were part of the 28th Brigade, 9th (Scottish Division). On the 14/05/1916 they transferred to the 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division and amalgamated with 11th (Service) Battalion to form the 10/11th Battalion. The Battle of Loos 25th September to the 15th October 1915 : The first genuinely large scale British offensive action but once again only in a supporting role to a larger French attack in the Third Battle of Artois. British appeals that the ground over which they were being called upon to advance was wholly unsuitable were rejected. The battle is historically noteworthy for the first British use of poison gas. The opening day of The Battle of Loos : Zero hour was fixed for 05.50 a.m. On the left of the Division were the 10th Highland Light Infantry and the 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers were on the right. At 06.30 they advanced in 3 lines against the German trenches. The 10th Highland Light Infantry : "As the wind was too weak to carry the gas forward from the trenches many of the men were suffering from the effects of it when they left the front line. At the very start the ranks of the Battalion were thinned by a storm of shell, rifle and machine-gun fire, a considerable amount being killed or wounded. The men pushed on but we unable to penetrate the enemy's wire. Before vicious machine-gun fire from Madagascar Trench, Railway Work and Mad Point the attack melted away and most of the survivors struggled back to the trenches none of whom had broken through the German wire". SEE PHOTOS x 6 FOR THE 10th (SERVICE) BATTALION WAR DIARY ON THE 25/09/1915 + 9 PHOTOS FROM THE HISTORY OF THE 9th (SCOTTISH) DIVISION. THE BATTALION CASUALTIES ON THE 25/09/1915 (NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS + MEN) - "A" COMPANY : 29 KILLED, 66 MISSING, 45 WOUNDED, 22 GASSED (TOTAL = 162), "B" COMPANY : 66 KILLED, 70 MISSING, 33 WOUNDED, 6 GASSED (TOTAL = 175), "C" COMPANY : 28 KILLED, 46 MISSING, 46 WOUNDED, 7 GASSED (TOTAL = 127), "D" COMPANY : 37 KILLED, 17 MISSING, 50 WOUNDED, 9 GASSED (TOTAL = 113). TOTAL : 160 KILLED, 199 MISSING, 174 WOUNDED, 49 GASSED = 577. OFFICERS - HQ : 1 KILLED, 1 WOUNDED, 1 GASSED, "A" COMPANY : 4 KILLED, "B" COMPANY : 3 KILLED, "C" COMPANY : 2 WOUNDED, "D" COMPANY : 1 KILLED, 2 WOUNDED. TOTAL : 9 KILLED, 5 WOUNDED, 1 GASSED = 15. Scottish Regiments lost a huge amount of brave men at Loos. Here is a list of Infantry Battalions who lost more than 500 men at the Battle of Loos from 25/09/1915 to 16/10/1915 - 7th Cameron Highlanders 687, of which 19 Officers, 9th Black Watch 680, of which 20 Officers, 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers 650, of which 20 Officers, 10th HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY 648, OF WHICH 20 OFFICERS, 7th King's Own Scottish Borderers 631, of which 20 Officers, 8th Devons 619, of which 19 Officers, 8th Royal West Kents 580, of which 24 Officers, 8th Buffs 558, of which 24 Officers, 12th Highland Light Infantry 553, of which 23 Officers, 8th Black Watch 511, of which 19 Officers, 5th North Staffordshire 505, of which 20 Officers, 8th Seaforth Highlanders 502, of which 23 Officers. John was Killed in Action on the opening day of the Battle of Loos. He was 1 of 99 men from the Coatbridge Memorial who fell during and from injuries from the Battle of Loos. John's comrades speculated that he might be a prisoner of war (see Newspaper clipping Coatbridge Express 17/11/1915). A letter from his sister, having been found on the dead soldier, was returned to her by Sergeant W James of the same battalion, who wrote:- "Enclosed find letter that was found on the body of one of our fallen comrades from which I gather he was a brother of yours. We have buried him in the British Cemetery just behind the lines. Allow me, on behalf of the lads in the trenches, extend our sympathy to you and the family of our comrade, who has fallen for a great cause." See photos for Newspaper clippings from the Tyrone Courier 21/10/1915 and the Mid Ulster Mail 23/10/1915 (John is listed as The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) on the clippings and on the Dungannon Memorial x 3. John is also remembered on the St. Mary's Church Roll of Honour and on the Dungannon War Memorial x 2 (see photos). See photos for a Poppy placed on John's panel of the Dungannon War Memorial by my friend Richard Lee and also by myself. See photos for John's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 3, his name on the Loos Memorial x 2, John's Will to his sister Sarah, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his listing on the Ireland Casualties WW1, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Loos Memorial Panel List, the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge and John's Pension Records x 3.

Photos
John Lavelle Medal Index CardJohn Lavelle newspaper clippingJohn Lavelle newspaper clippingJohn Lavelle newspaper clippingJohn Lavelle remembered at homeJohn Lavelle remembered at homeJohn Lavelle remembered at homeJohn Lavelle remembered at homeJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photoJohn Lavelle additional photo

War Diaries

The battalion War Diary is available on the National Archives website.

Creative Commons License

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