Home  |   The Great War  |   Second World War  |   Other Conflicts  |   Useful Links  |   Contact Us

 

2nd Lieutenant John Francis CRAGG
No. 4 Company, 8th (Service) Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment Date of birth: 21st June 1888 Date of death: 1st July 1916 Killed in action aged 28 Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Panel and Face 1C
John Francis Cragg was born at Threekingham on the 21st of June 1888 the third son of Captain William Alfred Cragg OL JP, Lincolnshire Regiment, and Adelaide Alexander (nee Gilliat) Cragg of The Hall, Folkingham Road, Threekingham in Lincolnshire. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Seconds House from May 1900 to July 1906. He was a member of the Shooting VIII in 1906 and was a member of the Officer Training Corps. On leaving school he became a motor engineer and by the outbreak of war he was Works Manager for the Lincoln Printing Works and was living at 8 North Parade, Lincoln. On the 29th of June 1914 he enlisted at Lincoln as Private 2184 in the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. At a medical examination, which was held on the same day, it was recorded that he was 5 feet 8 1/2 inches tall and in good health. He was promoted to Corporal on the 29th of August 1914 and on the 12th of September 1914 he signed a document agreeing to overseas service if required. On the 4th of December he applied for a commission and was discharged from the 4th battalion on the 26th of December 1914 being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Regiment on the 30th of December 1914 where he served as Battalion Machine Gun Officer. On the 10th of September 1915 he embarked with his battalion at Southampton, landing at Boulogne early in the morning of the following day where the battalion moved into billets at Bayenghem. On the 25th of September 1915 the British launched an offensive at Loos in Northern France. The 8th Lincolns were on the move for much of that day and received orders to advance at 8pm to a point to the east of the Loos to La Bassée road. During their move forward, they passed evidence of the heavy fighting which had taken place that day. John Cragg wrote of it after the battle:- "As we got to the crest line, now free from obstruction, we could see the countryside slightly, and what a sight met our eyes! Right ahead of us was Loos in flames, this was the glare that puzzled us; the twin towers of the big mine standing out like great oil towers on a burning oil field. To the right and left were the horrors of war. Close by a German, badly wounded, called for "wasser". I stopped and gave him some, but it would not be long before he joined his comrades. In the communication trench on our left more dead by the score...." The following day, the 26th of September, the battalion was engaged in heavy fighting at Hill 70 some of which was hand to hand. During the fighting they lost their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Harold Ernest Walter, an event witnessed by Cragg:- "He stood not knowing what fear was in the midst of a hot fire at close range, forty yards off, calling on us to charge. Just as he led us he fell." John Cragg was wounded in the left leg by shrapnel from a high explosive shell later in the fighting. The 8th Lincolns had suffered casualties of 22 officers and 471 other ranks killed wounded or missing. On the 1st of October 1915 he was evacuated from Calais on board a ship of the Brighton Steamship Company and landed at Dover later the same day. His parents received the following telegram dated the 2nd of October 1915:- "2nd Lt J.F. Cragg Lincolnshire Regt. was wounded Sept 25/27. Further news will be telegraphed when received". They received a further telegram dated the 8th of October 1915:- "Lieut. J.F. Cragg Lincoln Regt admitted Lady Evelyn Mason's Hospital 16 Bruton Street W. Oct 1st suffering from gunshot wound left leg". On the 13th of October 1915 a Medical Board was convened at Caxton Hall in London where he was granted six weeks sick leave. Later that month John Cragg applied for a transfer to the newly formed Machine Gun Corps citing his service as Battalion Machine Gun Officer and asking the reader to note that he possessed a 1st Class Certificate in the use of the Vickers Light Automatic Machine Gun from Hythe. He went on :- " Also I am thoroughly conversant with the Lewis Gun, going through private instruction at Hythe, a course at Longmoor and Wisques and having these guns under my chaps in the Lincolns. I have also lectured on both these guns to senior officers. I am also acquainted with the Rexa having had instruction on this gun at Hythe." On the 30th of November 1915 a Medical Board sat at the 4th Northern General Hospital which noted that:- "wound healed--can walk with help and quite slowly---still loss of superficial sensation in foot". He was granted a further two months sick leave. On the 4th of January 1916 a Medical Board sat at the 4th Northern General Hospital which noted that "power of left ankle is fully restored as is sensation in sole of foot" and concluded that John Cragg was "fit for general war service". The following day he reported for duty with the 9th (Reserve) Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment at Brocton Camp near Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. He rejoined his battalion in the field at Armentieres on the 13th of February 1916. At 3am on the 20th of February the battalion relieved the 8th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry in the trenches at the Epinette Road. On the 23rd of February 1916 the enemy began a heavy and prolonged bombardment of the Lincolnshire positions which killed two men and wounded seven others. During that night and into the next day the British artillery retaliated and, later that day, John Cragg was evacuated by a Field Ambulance suffering from shell shock. His parents received the following telegram date the 2nd of March 1916:- "2/Lt J.F. Cragg 8th Lincolns admitted 7 Stationary Hospital Boulogne 1st March sick case not then diagnosed but condition satisfactory. Will send any further reports". They received a further telegram dated the 26th of March 1916:- "2/Lt. J.F. Cragg 8th Lincolnshire Regt. transferred to convalescence home after treatment for shell shock". They received a further telegram dated the 20th of April 1916:- "2/Lt J.F. Cragg Lincolnshire Regt. now reported discharged to duty April 7". On the 1st of July 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, the 8th battalion Lincolnshire Regiment was detailed to attack German positions in front of the village of Fricourt. They formed the second wave of the attack in support of the 8th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry. At 7.30am the Somersets advanced losing half their number to the hail of machine gun fire which poured into their ranks. Despite this they managed to take the first German line and moved towards their second objective. The Lincolns followed them with B and C Companies leading and A Company in support. The leading platoons lost half their number and as the surviving Lincolns arrived at the German first line they were checked by heavy machine gun fire. Despite this setback their bombers managed to destroy the enemy posts and bomb their way along the communication trenches "Dart Lane" and "Brandy Trench". As they moved along the enemy trench they destroyed the enemy dugouts with bombs and high explosive. At this point in the action enemy artillery began firing on the supporting waves as they crossed no man's land and they suffered many casualties. They then held and consolidated these positions, beating off an enemy bombing attack from the direction of Fricourt later in the day. They were relieved at 2am on the 4th of July. Casualties were:- 4 officers killed, 1 missing and seven wounded. Other ranks 30 killed, 34 missing and 171 wounded. His parents received the following telegram dated the 9th of July 1916:- "Deeply regret to inform you that 2nd Lieut. J.F. Cragg 8 Lincoln Regt. was killed in action 2 July (sic). The Army Council express their sympathy". His Commanding Officer, Colonel Johnson wrote:- "His Company was the first to go over, and the leading one of this Battalion, and all the officers were hit. He was very keen, and I much regret his loss." His Major wrote:- "I am sure no braver fellow ever stepped in this battalion." He is commemorated on the Threekingham Memorial at St Peter’s Church along with his brother Lieutenant Noel Henry Cragg RN of HMS "Victory (Naval Siege Guns) who died on the 20th of September 1915

Seconds House