Pte 57723 John William Lane

• Age: 22
• From: Nottingham
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Monday 9th April 1917
• Commemorated at: Wancourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.E.38

John William was born in 1895 in Nottingham and was the son of Stephen Lane and his wife Edith (nee Belton) who were married in Nottingham in 1891. 

The 1901 census records the family living at 12 Seaton Terrace, Nottingham where Stephen who is 36 and a coal miner born in  Grantham, Lincs, and Edith aged 38 born in Nottingham, they have had three children, two of whom are present at the Census: Emma aged 7 and John William aged 6. Also living with the couple are Edith’s brother Harry aged 21 and her sister Bertha aged 15.

By the time of the 1911 census, the family lived at 93 Kings Meadow Road, Nottingham. The census records that Stephen, aged 44 and Edith. aged 46  had been married for 20 years, Edith had borne six children but only three were living. Those children were all living at home, Emma aged 17, was a lace joiner, John William aged 16 was a colliery bank boy and Nellie was just 7 and at school.

John William enlisted in Nottingham and was formerly Private 375 of the North Midland Cyclist Company and following a transfer was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 57723 when he was killed in action on the 9th April 1917, aged 22, during the Battle of Arras.

Arras 09^th April 1917

Details of the circumstances the 18^th Battalion had to contend with are illustrated below:

The battalion formed the left assaulting battalion of the brigade, the 2^nd Wiltshire Regiment being on the right, the 19^th Manchester Regiment being in support and 2^nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment furnishing “moppers -up”  for the two assaulting battalions. The brigade advance was timed to begin at ---- hour after “Zero”, suited to conform with the movements of 56^th Division and other divisions on our left further north (near Arras). This battalion’s objective was the front-line system Lion Lane on the left (exclusive) to Panther Lane on right (exclusive). This sector included the strongpoint known as “The Egg”.

The brigade advanced at prearranged time, i.e., 11.38 a.m, from position of assembly trenches south of Neuville Vitasse to German front line. This necessitated an advance across the open of at least 2,000 yards. This area up to Neuville Vitasse- Henin road was crossed in artillery formation; after this, owing to machine-gun fire and considerable resistance from German posts forward in the sunken roads, it was found necessary to deploy. During the whole movement across the open the advancing columns had been under considerable artillery fire from guns of all calibres. On gaining the position immediately in front of German line it was found that the wire was practically uncut; this wire formed two strong belts in front of German trenches. Two small gaps were eventually discovered and Second-Lieut H.F.Merry gallantly led a bombing party through them, but his three remaining men were killed as they reached the German trenches.

From the moment the battalion was “held up” in front of German wire Capt. R. W. Jones, the senior company commander on the spot, at once began the work of consolidating in front of German wire. The battalion held on in this position for the remainder of the day, until relieved by the 16^th Manchester Regiment about 3 a.m. on the 10^th of April, all the time under intense machine-gun and rifle fire.

Between 9th-10th April, 1917, the 18th King's lost 2 officers 2nd Lt. F. Ashcroft and 2nd Lt. H.G. Ewing and 59 other ranks killed. 8 other officers were wounded.  

John William now rests at Wancourt British Cemetery, France. The inscription on his headstone reads:

“GOD BE WITH YOU TILL WE MEET AGAIN”

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 small cemeteries and isolated positions on the battlefields south-east of Arras, including HENIN NORTH CEMETERY, 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 Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Edith E.