John William Backhouse was killed in action on this day in 1916.
John William Backhouse was born on 9 March 1886 in Barnard Castle. His parents were Henry Backhouse and his wife, Georgina Mary nee Stanton.
His younger brother, Roland, was born in March 1887 but died on 14 July 1890 of diphtheria. Just a few days later his mother died on 25 July 1890. A report in the Northern Echo stated “Mrs Backhouse had helped to nurse him with maternal courage, solicitude and affection, only herself to fall a victim to the dire disease".
In the 1891 Census, John and his father was living in Barnard Castle, with John’s grandfather. He initially attended Aysgarth Preparatory School, near York, before going to Bedales School, Sussex in 1897, aged 11 years.
At school, John excelled at sport, often playing in goal in football. Shooting and cricket were also great interests and in his final year Stanley Wells, the master i/c cricket, wrote in The Bedales Record: “we all regret that Backhouse, our cricket captain, is leaving this Term. We owe him much for the time and labour which he has so ungrudgingly given to the School upon the cricket field. It is fitting that the season under his captaincy should have been such a successful one".
Above: Bedales School pictured in the early 20th Century. Photo: Bedales School
By the time of the 1911 Census, John was a Land Agent and staying in The Three Cranes Inn in Turvey, Bedfordshire.
John was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Bn. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Promoted to Lieutenant in December 1914, he went to France in March 1914. Further promotion to Captain followed in June 1915.
In early February 1916, John’s battalion was back in the front line in trenches near Hebuterne. The war diary records that in the following days there was much artillery action from the enemy. On 10 February 1916, John Backhouse was killed by shellfire. He was buried in Hebuterne Military Cemetery.
Above: Hebuterne Military Cemetery. Photo: CWGC
Sources – de Ruvigny Roll of Honour, Bedales School.