Pte 50627 John Riding

• Age: 28
• From: Lancaster
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 2nd August 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

John Riding was born on the 03rd December 1888 the son of Thomas Riding and his wife Mary Jane (née Wilson) who were married on the 06th August 1888 at St Thomas’ Church, Lancaster. Thomas was a 23 year old plumber of 1 Woods Street, his father, John, was a drayman, whilst Mary was aged 23 of 20 Spring Garden Street, her father, Henry, was a butcher.

John was baptised on 13th January 1889 at St Mary's Church, Lancaster, his father’s address at the time of his baptism was 6 Union Square.  

On the 1891 census he is aged 2 living at 19 Bath Street, Lancaster. His father, Thomas, is a 26 year old plumber born in Caton, Lancashire, whilst his mother Mary J. is 26 years of age and was born in Lancaster. He has a younger brother; Henry aged 7 months also born in Lancaster. 

On the 1901 census he is aged 12 and is living at 81 Penny Street, Lancaster with his parents and three siblings. His father, Thomas, is now aged 36 and still employed as a plumber, whilst his mother Mary J.  is now aged 36. His siblings are recorded as;  Henry 9, Ann 7 and Arthur 4 all born in Lancaster.

The 1911 Census shows John living with at 1 Wood Street, Lancaster with his grandparents. His grandfather John aged 68, born 1843 is a caretaker in a solicitors office and was born in Croston, Chorley. His wife Betsy is aged 72, born 1839 and their widowed daughter Mary Jane Egan aged 43, born 1868 both born in Caton, Lancaster. John is shown on the Census as aged 22, born 1889 and is a timekeeping clerk.

John was the husband of Amy (née Ritson) whom he had married in 1913 at Lancaster Register Office. They had a son Harry born 25^th September 1913. Amy was born 09^th February 1891 at Morland, Westmoreland and was the daughter of Joseph and Agnes Ann Ritson of High Street, Morland. Her father Joseph was a boot and shoe maker and by the time of the 1911 Census the family was living in Keswick and Amy was assisting in the business. 

John originally served as Private 34560, in the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment but following a transfer he was serving with the 20th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50627 when he was killed in action on the 02nd August, 1917, aged 28, during the Third Battle of Ypres.

The 20th Battalion diary gives details of the circumstances that the Battalion found themselves in during the early phases of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). Having taken part in the initial fighting of 31st July 1917 there is a general write up in relation to the period 01st -08th August and specifics solely from the 03rd August. As such it is impossible to say exactly how each of the men who fell on 01st or 2nd August met their death.

20^th Battalion Diary 01^st August – 08^th August

The Battalion continued to hold the position taken up on the morning of 31^st July. After the first day the weather was very wet and the going very difficult, but the men’s spirits remained wonderfully good. From time to time there was very heavy enemy shelling and in addition to this machine guns and snipers were very active. The work of communication was extremely difficult and the wires to Companies and to Battalions on our flanks were repeatedly cut and were only kept going by most excellent work by our linesmen, who suffered very heavy casualties as also did the runners. 

His death was reported in the Bradford Daily Telegraph on Tuesday 04th September 1917;

RIDING, Pte. John (28), King's Liverpools, whose wife resides with her child at 75, Balmoral Road, Lancaster, was killed by shellfire on August 2nd. Deceased was the son of Mr. Thomas Riding, plumber, Black Dyke Mills, and living at 33, Lyon Street, Queensbury. A brother, Lce. Cpl. Harry Riding, is with the Border Regiment in India. Jack enlisted in April and had only been at the front six weeks. Second-Lieut. D. Burbridge, King's Liverpools, wrote as follows: — “I ask you to accept my deepest sympathy in your great loss. I could always depend on your husband doing his duty most conscientiously, and I was looking forward to him as one of my future N.C.O.'s. I hope you will derive consolation from the fact that he died fighting for a good cause, and died like a man, which after all is the best death a man can die. He died instantaneously, and suffered no pain.” 

John's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Soldiers Effects, army pay of £2 12s 10d, War Gratuity £3 and Pension of 18/9 pw to widow Amy and child Harry, 75 Balmoral Rd, Lancaster.

His widow, Amy, remarried to William Thomas Hughes in 1923 in Greaves Methodist Church, Lancaster. They are found on the 1939 Register at Wayside, Caton nr Lancaster. 

His father died in the March quarter of 1935 aged 67, his death registered in Chorley. 

His mother died in the December quarter of 1938 aged 71 and her death was also registered in Chorley.  

His widow Amy, died aged 74, in 1966.

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