LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Private John Poulter
2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regiment
Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
Pte
John Poulter
2nd Bedfordshire Regt
Sennelager
Oct 29 1918
John Poulter died as a prisoner of war in the German internment camp at
Sennelager, near Paderborn, Westphalia.
His name does not appear amongst the British prisoners held in Germany
in 1916. (1)
However this is not conclusive evidence as to the possible date of his
capture.
Another piece of negative evidence concerns Sennelager. The Foreign
Office Cardex (2) makes one reference to "accounts of bad treatment at
Sennelager". Nothing else is indicated. However, a little background is
provided in the Parish magazine issue of February 1919. This confirms
the details on the War Memorial, except that his rank is given as
Corporal. (3)
Notes on sources
1. File AIR 1/392//204/5/696, 697, 698 (Lists of prisoners held in
Germany in 1916): Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond.
2. Foreign Office General Correspondence (1906–1919) Card Index: Public
Record Office, Kew, Richmond.
3. Parish magazine of St Mary and St Nicholas, Leatherhead issue of
February 1919.
Stop press
Soldiers Who Died in the Great War (Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond)
states:
John Poulter - Born Leatherhead - Enlisted Guildford (Leatherhead)
No. 6645: Private (not Corporal) - 2nd Bn.
Further research
Private
POULTER, JOHN
Service Number 6645
Died 29/10/1918
Aged 37
2nd Bn. Bedfordshire Regiment
Son of Thomas and Martha Poulter, of The Rosary, Kingston Rd.,
Leatherhead, Surrey.
INSCRIPTION
WITH CHRIST WHICH IS FAR BETTER
Buried at NIEDERZWEHREN
CEMETERY, KASSEL
Location: Hessen, Germany
Cemetery/memorial reference: V. C. 14.
His International Committee of the Red Cross record
states:
POULTER John 6645 L.C. 2 Bedf: S A V Y 22-3-18 Gestorben [died] am
29-10-18 im Lazarett [Hospital] Sanne
Ursache: Lungentberkulose [cause of death: Pulmonary Tuberculosis]:
source: IWM
Taking 22-3-18 to be his date of capture, what happened?
The Bedfordshire Regiment in the Great War
War
Diary 2 Battalion, March 21-23 1918
21 Mar 1918 [The
First Battles of the Somme 1918 - the Battle of St Quentin]
Enemy bombardment started at 4.45 a.m. The Battalion "Stood to" in Battle
Zone between SAVY and ETREILLERS at 6 a.m. "A" and "C" Companies in Front.
"B" Company in Counter Attack position, "D" Company and Battalion Hd.Qrs
in STEVENS REDOUBT. Enemy broke through the Forward Zone and came in touch
with "A" Company during the morning. A few Germans got into the right of
"A" Coys position. "B" Company went up to reinforce "A" Company at Dusk
but could not turn out the enemy, who had established themselves firmly on
either side of the SAVY Road. Captain W.Hobbs [Wilfred HOBBS, MC] wounded.
22 Mar 1918 - Verlaines Early in the morning a few Germans worked
into "C" Coys position, from a Sunken Road just in front of our wire. "A"
and "C" Coys were heavily shelled all day and at about 2 p.m. the enemy
attacked in large numbers. "C" Coys position was taken and some of
our men taken prisoner. The remnants of "A" and "B" Coy hung
on till surrounded by large numbers of enemy. They fought very well and
only a few got back.
By 4 p.m. the enemy could
be seen advancing on either side of STEVENS REDOUBT. At 5 p.m. Orders were
received to withdraw. The withdrawal was carried out at once, but there
were a number of casualties as the withdrawal had to be made across open
country and the enemy machine gun and shrapnel fire was very heavy.
The Battalion withdrew to
VERLAINES via GERMAINE - FORESTE - VILLERS ST CHRISTOPHE and HAM.
Billetted in VERLAINES for the night. Casualties: Lieut.A.P. Methuen
[Arthur Pemberton METHUEN] Wounded, Lieut.D.D. Warren [Douglas Daintry
WARREN] wounded, Captain F.A.Sloan [Frank Alan SLOAN, MC] wounded,
Capt.H.B.Jones, R.A.M.C., missing, 2nd Lieut.F.E. Thompson [Frank Ernest
THOMPSON] missing [Comment: was taken prisoner and was repatriated 11th
December 1918].
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 11 May 1918
THE WAR
A number of local men have been reported as missing since the German
offensive began, and Mr T Poulter, of "The Rosary," Kingston-road,
Leatherhead, has heard this week that two of his four sons who are serving
are prisoners of war in Germany.
Lance-Corpl. Jack Poulter, who is
in the Bedford Regiment, has been missing since March 22nd, and a letter
dated April 24th from his officer says: "I very much regret to inform you
that your son has been missing since March 23rd. I fear he is a prisoner.
No doubt you will receive all details from the War Office very
shortly. He will be greatly missed by the officers and men (those who are
left) for he was a brave man and well liked.”
Lance-Corpl. William Poulter, who
is in the Royal Sussex Regiment, is also a prisoner in Germany, a card to
that effect having been received from him during the week.
Leatherhead Parish Magazine
February 1919
We greatly regret to record the
death of Corpl. John Poulter, Bedford Regt., on Oct. 29th, 1918, in the
prisoners-of-war camp at Sennelager.
The following, so far as the Vicar has been able to ascertain, are the
names of the Letherhead men who down to the present time have returned
home from imprisonment in Germany.
T. Bullen
A.
Gibbs
W. Poulter
W. Busfield T.
Horne
R. Richardson
A. Dovey
F. Mileham
C. Toone
H. Easton
A.
Moore
C. Wild
A. Freeman D.
Pentycross S. Williams
Sennelager
WW1 PoW Camp in photo postcards
His life
John (Jack) Poulter was born on 29 September 1881 in Basingstoke,
Hampshire. He was a Cowman. When he died he was single.
His father was Thomas Poulter born 1847, Cowkeeper and Dairyman from
Wales, a son of Charles Poulter (1822-1877), a Plumber &
Painter from Stepney, Middlesex, and Mary Ann Gough (1814-1883) from
Bishops Castle, Shropshire.
His mother was Martha Ann Wild born 1847 in Basingstoke, Hampshire. She
was a daughter of George Wild (1816-1879), an Irish Labourer, and
Elizabeth Kinchin (1817-1898). She was a Dressmaker.
They were married in Basingstoke on 6 February 1869.
John's siblings included: Kate Mary, George Thomas, Charles William,
Martha Ann, James Kinchen, Sophia, Sarah Jane, William, Percy Joel.
John had lived at:
1891, 1901, 1911 Census: Kingston Road, Leatherhead, Surrey
(The Rosary, Kingston Road, Leatherhead, Surrey)
After WW1
Martha, his mother, died in 1923. His father, Thomas, died in 1926.
John's brother James Kinchen Poulter, born July 1976 in
Basingstoke, died in Leatherhead 26 October 1945. He married Nellie
Rebecca Watts in Leatherhead Parish Church on 29 July 1899. Two of their
sons died in WW2 and are named like John, their uncle who they never met,
on Leatherhead War Memorial:
Mr. and Mrs. J. Poulter, of 3, Gravel
Hill, Leatherhead, have been notified that their son,
Sapper
Leonard Victor Poulter, reported missing in the Middle East
on November 14th [1942], must now be assumed to have lost his life.
John Poulter is remembered on these memorials
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of
Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
Ladies War Shrine, Leatherhead Parish
Church
Church Lads Brigade Memorial
Tryptich, All Saints Leatherhead
Surrey
in the Great War
the website editor would like to add
further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, and of any recollections within his family
last updated 19 Nov 20