John William Paice
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
He was known as 'Jack'. He was the third son and youngest child of John William and Jane Paice. In 1891 John (26, b. Louth, Lincs) and Jane (28, b. Shroton, Dorset) lived at 18 Hermitage Street, Sneinton; John worked on the railway as a platelayer. Two children, Nellie (6) and Edwin (2) were in the household although there was a third child, William, who would have been about 4 at the time of the census. Jane was widowed by 1901 and working as a charwoman. She lived at 3 Burton Terrace, Burton Street, in the parish of Nottingham St George with her five children; Nellie M (16), William (14), Edwin (12), Florence (9) and John (7). In 1911 Jane was living at 42 Rupert Street, where on the night of the census only her four youngest children were in the household. 42 Rupert Street was still the family home when John was killed in 1916.
Pte. John William Paice arrived in France on 25/02/1915. His unit was positioned near Foncquevillers, where it was the attack towards the village of Gommecourt on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The British artillery had pounded the German trenches for seven days and nights, but it had had only limited success. When the four waves of the 1/7th Battalion advanced in to No Man's Land that Saturday morning they were soon in trouble. German shells and machine gun fire began to tear great holes in the line. The colonel and the adjutant went down in the first two minutes. Nevertheless the men continued forward. By the time they were seventy yards from the German front line they could see that their task was hopeless. The wire was barely cut, and further men were going down under a hale of fire. Around two dozen penetrated the German defences, but were too small in number to hold on. Of the 746 men who set out that morning only 96 answered their name at roll call that evening. Pte. Paice was one of those killed in action. He is buried in Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery, Foncquevillers (grave ref I.D.14)
Nottingham Evening Post obituary (abridged), 11 July 1916: 'Paice. Killed in action in France, July 1st, John W Paice (Jack) age 22, Signalling Section Sherwood Foresters, of 42 Rupert Street. Mother, sisters, brothers.' His mother was his sole legatee; John had £6 1s 7d due to him from the Army when he was killed and a war grant of £8 10s was paid.
