Great War in the Villages Projectbtckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site2451/Akers... · 2015. 5. 19. · 1 Great War in the Villages Project RiflemanJohnW)Akers,)3rd)BattalionKings)Rifle)Corp)
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1 Great War in the Villages Project Rifleman John W Akers, 3 rd Battalion Kings Rifle Corp Rifleman Akers has provided a very detailed account of his time in the trenches during the early part of 1915. He tells of his role in the action at St Eloi on 14 th February when the 3rd Battalion was involved in retaking the trenches lost the previous day by the Irish Brigade (Second Battle of Ypres). His account also tells of the horrors of an assignment to set up a machine gun post in a waterlogged trench. Eventually he was invalided back to the UK because of “fever”. The Medal Record Index shows his army number was 9081 and that he entered the French “theatre of war” on 20 December 1914. He is mentioned in the 1911 census has been a rifleman age twentyone serving with his regiment in India. The index card mentions “Section B “ which perhaps indicates he had become a reservist at the start of the war although it may also indicate that he became a reservist after the end of the war. The Third Battalion at the outbreak of the war was stationed at Meerut, India and returned to the UK in October 1914. They went to France in December 1914, which aligns with the date on Akers medal index card. Whether he was a reservist who was called back or whether he had been serving with the Battalion in India is not known. The Third Battalion in November 1915 was withdrawn from France and sent to Salonika where it was engaged in actions against the Bulgarian army. They stayed in that theatre of war until he end of the war. Whether he went with the Battalion is not known but has he is shown on the index card has having served also with the 2 nd and 17 th battalions who both saw action in France it seems likely that after he had recovered at Halloughton he spent the remainder of the war in those two battalions and in France. However that is speculation. He was born in Darlington in about 1889 and was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Akers. Joseph was an iron foundry labourer in Darlington. It has not been possible to find anything about his life after the war ended. There is no evidence he married but there is an entry for the death in 1935 of a John William Akers who lived in Lanchester, Durham. Prepared by [email protected]
Great War in the Villages Project Rifleman John W
Akers, 3rd Battalion Kings Rifle
Corp Rifleman Akers has provided
a very detailed account of his
time in the trenches during the
early part of 1915. He tells
of his role in the action
at St Eloi on 14th February
when the 3rd Battalion was
involved in retaking the trenches
lost the previous day by the
Irish Brigade (Second Battle of
Ypres). His account also tells
of the horrors of an assignment
to set up a machine gun
post in a waterlogged trench.
Eventually he was invalided back
to the UK because of “fever”.
The Medal Record Index shows
his army number was 9081 and
that he entered the French
“theatre of war” on 20 December
1914. He is mentioned in the
1911 census has been a rifleman
age twentyone serving with his
regiment in India. The index
card mentions “Section B “
which perhaps indicates he had
become a reservist at the start
of the war although it may
also indicate that he became a
reservist after the end of the
war. The Third Battalion at
the outbreak of the war was
stationed at Meerut, India and
returned to the UK in October
1914. They went to France in
December 1914, which aligns with
the date on Akers medal index
card. Whether he was a
reservist who was called back
or whether he had been serving
with the Battalion in India is
not known. The Third Battalion
in November 1915 was withdrawn
from France and sent to
Salonika where it was engaged
in actions against the Bulgarian
army. They stayed in that
theatre of war until he end
of the war. Whether he went
with the Battalion is not known
but has he is shown on
the index card has having
served also with the 2nd and
17th battalions who both saw
action in France it seems
likely that after he had
recovered at Halloughton he spent
the remainder of the war in
those two battalions and in
France. However that is speculation.
He was born in Darlington
in about 1889 and was the
son of Joseph and Elizabeth
Akers. Joseph was an iron
foundry labourer in Darlington.
It has not been possible to
find anything about his life
after the war ended. There is
no evidence he married but
there is an entry for the
death in 1935 of a John
William Akers who lived in
Lanchester, Durham. Prepared
by [email protected]