The amount I’m able to write about each soldier is solely dependent on the information available. In some cases information is scarce. Unfortunately, this is the case with John Blake. Indeed, even details establishing John’s connections with the town are scant. In the first instance, we are aware that his father, also called John, was born in the area and on early census information has a birthplace recorded as Beaford. In the 1861 census we find him living in the village at the property “Part of Canns”; a decade later they have moved to the village of Merton at property “Fir Tree”.

 

It is not until we reach 1891 that we can see a little more of the family dynamic. At this point, they are resident in the St Pancras area of London. John (senior) works as a tailor and has married his now wife, Annie. I should point out that Annie has a birthplace listed as Marylebone. The household is made up of their five children, which comprises of Edith, Laura, Elsie, Matilda and John Stanley, who newborn. Not too much has changed by 1901, other than the family has moved to an address in Hendon, Middlesex. As before, John (senior) continues his occupation as a tailor.

 

The 1911 census is more revealing. Although some factors remain the same, such as the family still living in Hendon, John (senior) now has a listed occupation as “master tailor”. John (junior) has followed in his father’s footsteps and is also working as a tailor at the age of 20. Even at this stage it is unclear to find a connection between John and Great Torrington to see how his name was included on the war memorial. The last piece of evidence that does shine light on this is his service records. Whilst his birthplace is listed as Bloomsbury, Middlesex, his residence is listed as Torrington. Despite this, John still returned to Middlesex, Wembley to be precise, to enlist with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. His service number is A/200147 and he holds the rank of Lance Corporal. Beyond this brief mention, there is no other evidence of John’s tenure with the town. However, bearing in mind his historical family connection, as well as this mention in the service papers, it is reasonable to assume he had, at least briefly, relocated to the area for work. 

 

John was attached to the King’s Royal Rifles Corps, 17th Battalion. After being raised in May 1915 and after undergoing the various training regimes, the 17th Battalion arrived at French shores in March 1916. They would see early action, but they were also prominent at the Battle of the Somme. One of the greatest tasks the battalion were set was the capture of the Schwaben Redoubt. This was a fortified trench network position overlooking Thiepval , which would cause any occupying force of the village untold damage. The redoubt needed to be captured. A number of attempts had been to capture the redoubt since the 1st July 1916 with varying degrees of success. On the 14th October the 17th Battalion were called into action to attack the remaining occupied section in the northern area. This objectively was completed relatively quickly they were in control of the sector by the end of the day’s fighting. However, the next day saw three successive German counter-attacks, supported with flamethrower units. These were all rebuffed, but with heavy casualties. The Lance Corporal was amongst those killed on the 15th October 1916. Although he has no marked grave, John is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial as well as the Great Torrington war memorial.