136157 PTE. J. WATERHOUSE. R.F.A.

 

James Waterhouse was born in the first quarter of 1890 in Bamber Bridge.  His father was also James Waterhouse (b. 1845 in Cuerden), a cotton spinning overlooker.  His mother was Elizabeth Ingham (b. 1845 in Bamber Bridge).  James and Elizabeth were married in 1867 and they had (at least) 7 children:  Ann Jane (b. 1869), Thomas (b. 1877), Peter Aloysius (b. 1879), Mary Ellen (b. 1882), Margaret (b. 1884), Elizabeth (b. 1886) and the youngest James.  Elizabeth died in 1902  and her husband James died 1905.  In 1911, James jnr was living with an aunt, Ellen Ingham and five of his adult unmarried siblings at 43 St Mary’s Road, Bamber Bridge.  He was a cotton spinner.

 

In 1915, James married Alice Worsley (b. 1892 in Preston).  Alice was the daughter of a prison warder (which helps to explain where she was living after James died).  So James enlisted, probably in 1916.  He joined the Royal Field Artillery, though not with the other Briggers.  He was given service number 136157 and posted to “D” Bty of 293rd Brigade.  293Bde was divisional artillery for 58th (2/1 London) Division who landed in France in February 1917.  In 1917, they saw action at the Battle of Bullecourt (4-17 May); the actions of the Hindenburg Line (20 May -16 June) and during the Third Battle of Ypres they fought at the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge (20-25 September), the Battle of Polygon Wood (26-27 September), and the Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October – 10 November).  In 1918, the Division was actively engaged in various phases of the German Spring Offensive and after a brief respite was back in action at Amiens (8-11 August), Albert (22-23 August), Bapaume (31 August – 1 September), Epehy (18 September) and the final advance in Artois (from 2 October).  James had fought through two terrible years and must have been looking forward to the end of the War and finally going home, but he succumbed to the influenza pandemic and died at the Étaples Military Hospital on 30 October 1918.  He was 28 years old.

 

Rank:  Private

Service Number:  136157

Date of Death:  30/10/1918

Age:  28

Regiment/Service:  Royal Field Artillery,  "D" Bty. 293rd Bde. 

Cemetery/memorial reference: LXVI. M. 22.

Cemetery:  ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY

Additional Information:  Son of James and Elizabeth Waterhouse, of Bamber Bridge, nr. Preston, Lancs; husband of Alice Waterhouse, of Gate House, H.M. Prison, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

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