Pte 88128 John William Rimmer

John enlisted in Southport as Private 41836, ‘C’ Company, 4th Bn King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. (The 4th Extra Reserve battalion was made up of former Reservists, and arrived in France on 6th March 1915.)

 

Mary Jane gave birth to their son, also named John William, on 20th December 1916. It is not likely that John ever met his son. 

 

Records show that 41836 Pte J. PW. Rimmer was admitted, on 29th December 1916, to 18th General hospital (at Camiers on the coast north of Etaples) and discharged on 11th January 1917.  

 

John was transferred to the Labour Corps, as Private 280800, most likely after recuperating. He was subsequently transferred to the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 88128, then to ‘B’ Company, 17th Battalion K.L.R.

 

At the end of 1917, the 17th and the other Pals battalions leave the Ypres Salient and move south to take up positions opposite La Fré and, after some battalion reorganisation, the battalion moves back into the line at St. Quentin. 

 

On 21st March 1918 the German Spring Offensive begins. This was Ludendorf’s plan to strike a sudden, massive blow with 60 divisions, including fresh, specially trained storm troops, to create a gap through which the Germans could reach the Channel ports and so prevent Britain from continuing the war. The assault begins at 4:30 a.m. and the Pals battalions are ordered to take up battle stations. On the 22nd the 17th deploys around Aviation Wood, near Atilly and are later ordered to pull back to Ham. Despite a daring counter-attack by the 17th Bn., the front could not hold and over the next few days, fighting a rearguard action, the Brigade, after being nearly surrounded, was ordered to form a defensive line near Roye. After a German attack had been beaten off on the 28th, the Brigade was relieved and withdrew to Rouvrel. The line was held.

 

In the ten days after the Spring Offensive began, 12 officers and 207 men from the three Pals battalions had been killed in action or died of wounds, and a further six hundred wounded and/or captured.

 

German records show that John was captured, wounded, on 29th March 1918 at Le Quesnel, 11 miles east of Rouvrel.  He had suffered a fracture of the right thigh from a gunshot wound. John’s name appears in the Weekly Casualty List as Missing on 28th May 1918.

 

His name appears on the International Red Cross list of POWs held at Saarbrücken POW camp, 260 miles east of Le Quesnel.  He had previously been held at Beaufort Feld Hospital.