John Thomas Day
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
John Thomas Day was born in 1878 in Mansfield and was the son of the late John Day an iron moulder and Rachel Day née Marson of 7 Mount Pleasant, Mill Gate, Newark. His father John was born in 1846 in Mansfield, his mother Rachel Marson was born in 1852 in Otteringham, Yorkshire. They were married in 1873 in the Southwell Registration District and had 6 children, sadly however two of these children were to die in infancy or childhood prior to 1911, their surviving children were :- Robert William b1874 Newark, Arthur b1876 Newark, John Thomas b1878 Mansfield and Leonard b1889 Newark. However in 1905 their son Robert William died in Newark aged 31 yrs. In 1906 John Day died aged 62 yrs in Nottingham, and in 1910 their son Leonard was also to die in Newark aged 22 yrs. In the 1911 census what was left of the family were living at 7 Mount Pleasant, Mill Gate Newark, and are shown as :- Rachel Day 59 yrs a widow, she is living with her two sons Arthur 35 yrs a labourer in a plaster pit and John Thomas 33 years a grounds man at a golf course. Both brothers Arthur and John Thomas enlisted during the Great War however both were to die; Arthur died on 13th February 1916 and John Thomas died 21st February 1917. Their mother Rachel died in 1925 in Newark aged 73 yrs.
Private John Thomas Day was residing in Newark when he enlisted at Derby, he served with the 16th battalion Sherwood Foresters (Chatsworth Rifles). He died at the War Hospital in Leeds on 21st February 1917 and his body was returned to his family at Newark where it was buried in Newark Cemetery, beside his brother Arthur.
16th (Chatsworth Rifles) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was raised at Derby on the 16th of April 1915, by the Duke of Devonshire and the Derbyshire Territorial Force Association. They moved to Buxton on the 4th of May and then on to Redmires near Sheffield on 8th of June. On the 2nd of September they moved to Hursley near Winchester to join 117th Brigade, 39th Division. They moved to Aldershot on the 30th of September and then to Witley for final training. They proceeded to France on the 6th of March 1916, landing at Le Havre, and concentrating near Blaringhem. On the 30th June 1916 they were in action in an attack near Richebourg l'Avoue with the Sussex battalions suffered heavy casualties. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme, including, the fighting on the Ancre, The Battle of Thiepval Ridge, The Battle of the Ancre heights and the capture of Schwaben Redoubt and Stuff Trench as well as The Battle of the Ancre. In 1917 they fought in The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Langemarck, The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, The Battle of Polygon Wood and The Second Battle of Passchendaele article published 7th March 1917 in the Newark Advertiser :- Was fighting in India at age 18 and also served in South African war. Resided at 5, Brittania Buildings, Parliament Street, Newark and was groundsman for seven-and-half years to the golf links. His widowed mother Mrs Day, received a letter three weeks ago stating that he was in a Canadian hospital, wounded in the leg and suffering from gastric ulcers. Later removed to Leeds war hospital where he was visited by relatives. Died a year to the day since his brother Arthur was buried.
