John Churchman

I have not been able to discover very much of John Churchman's background. "Soldiers Died" gives his place of birth as Grange and enlistment as Ulverston. The "Barrow News" said that news had been received of Jack Churchman's death on the 27th of October on Passchendaele Ridge. The CWGC records show he was the son of Henry James Churchman, no address given. The 1901 Census lists John as a farm labourer at Staveley and that of 1911 records him as a general labourer, 31 years of age living with his father, James H, a 61 year old farm labourer and a widower, at Ayside near Newton-in-Cartmel. There is a 29 year old sister Elizabeth and 22 year old brother, James living at the same address. John's name also appears on the War Memorial at Urswick, near Ulverston, maybe he was working there when he enlisted?

In 1914 and 1915 second and third line King's Own territorial battalions were raised, the 4th and 5th Battalions then became 1/4th and 1/5th. The only second or third line unit to go abroad was the 2/5th Battalion.

The 2nd/5th King's Own were a part of 170th Brigade, 57th.Division (TF), which landed in France on 5th February, 1917. In 1916 the other 2nd and 3rd line battalions were merged to become 4th Reserve Battalion to provide reinforcements for the fighting units.

The Third Battle of Ypres had been grinding on for three months, since the end of July 1917, when 2/5 KORLR arrived in the Salient, moving into a position NE of Poelcappelle on October 24th to support an attack due at 5.40am on the 26th. The attack was led by three battalions of the Loyal North Lancs and was part of the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele. The conditions encountered were absolutely atrocious, according to the regimental history even the messenger pigeons were unable to fly as their handlers had fallen over so much they were coated in mud. The advancing soldiers soon became bogged and easy targets for guns in the enemy pill-boxes which dominated the front. Captain S. C. Ball filled the gaps which appeared in the ranks with men from the King's Own, soon they were nearly all in the front-line. Progress was impossible, but two positions, at Rubens and Memling Farms a few hundred yards in advance of the start line were established. Two officers and twenty-eight men of the King's Own were killed, including John Churchman.

The battle officially ended on 10th November, after the Canadians had captured the position, which had once been the village of Passchendaele, nearly 70,000 British and Empire soldiers had died in the mud of Flanders.

I quote John Keegan (The First World War, p394) "The point of Passchendaele, as the Third Battle of Ypres has come to be known, defies explanation."