681708 GNR. J. PATTINSON.  R.F.A.

 

John Pattinson was born on 18 February 1892 in Oswaldtwistle and baptised at Church Kirk on 3 April.  His father was William Pattinson (b. 1856 in Church), a mechanical engineer in a brick works.  His mother was Mary Alice Rigby (b. 1856 in Oswaldtwistle), a cotton weaver.  William and Mary Alice were married in 1887 and John was their only child.  William died in 1904.  In 1911, Mary Alice and John were living at 44 Lord Street, Oswaldtwistle.  They shared the house with Tom and Edith Merry and their son George, all professional music hall musicians.  John was working as a cotton weaver, as was his mother.

 

John may have served in the Territorials before the War.  From his service number it looks as though he enlisted with a small group of men from the Blackburn/Burnley area in 1915 or early 1916.  His service number was 681708 and he may have originally been posted to “A” Battery of 286 Brigade.  However, he was later transferred to 41st Battery in 42nd Brigade and it may be that he was posted abroad to join them in early 1917.  42nd Brigade was attached to 3rd Division and they fought through several phases of the Batte of Arras in the first half of 1917.  They were in action again during the Third Battle of Ypres, at the Battle of the Menin Road (20-25 September) and the Battle of Polygon Wood (26 September to 3 October).  It was during the action along the Menin Road that John Pattinson received the wounds from which he died, on 22 September 1917, aged 25.

 

Rank:  Gunner

Service No:  681708

Date of Death:  22/09/1917

Age:  25

Regiment/Service:  Royal Field Artillery, 41st Bty, 42nd Bde.

Grave Reference:    VII. D. 21.

Cemetery:  DOZINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY

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