Pte 42625 John Christopher McCormack

• Age: 22
• From: Dartmouth, Devon
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 3rd May 1917
• Commemorated at: Bucquoy Rd Cem, Ficheux
  Panel Ref: I.D.16

John (known as Jack) Christopher was born on 16th November 1894, at Dartmouth, Devon the second son of Christopher McCormack and his wife Anne (née Haggerty). His father Christoher was born in 1863 in Cahir, County Limerick and joined the Royal Navy as a boy of 15, in 1879. His mother Annie was from Newfoundland.  

From March 1889 his father was posted to Newfoundland, with H.M.S. Emerald, on fishery protection service.  Whilst there he married Anne Haggerty, in St. John’s in 1892. Upon the conclusion of the Newfoundland fishery season in October 1892, Emerald returned to England, and the couple settled in Dartmouth, Devon, a large naval port. They had two sons, Henry Leo (Harry), in 1893, and John Christopher, in 1894, both born in Dartmouth.  

In 1894 his father was promoted to Master-At-Arms (MAA, in charge of discipline aboard ship, is a ship's senior rating, normally carrying the rank of chief petty officer or warrant officer). 

Some time after John’s birth the family moved to Dublin, where Christopher Joseph was born in 1898, but by 1901 had returned to Dartmouth, where they are found at 4 Manor Terrace.  His mother is 34, with three sons, Henry, 7, John, 6, and Christopher, 3.  Also in the household is Matilda McCormack, 16, born in Ireland, described as a step sister-in-law. His father, age 37, rank Master At Arms, is found on board the Ophir in the Great Bitter lake, Suez Canal. On board are “Royal Passengers” H.R.H. George, Duke of Cornwall and York, and H.R.H. The Duchess (the future King George V and Queen Mary).  

Ophir, a commercial liner of the Orient Line, was chartered to the Admiralty to serve as the royal yacht, conveying the Duke and Duchess on an extensive eight-month tour of the Empire. Stops included ports in the Mediterranean, Ceylon, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, South Africa, Canada, and Newfoundland.  At the conclusion of the royal tour, in November 1901, his father was presented with a silver watch and chain by the future king, and was discharged to shore pension.

Shortly afterwards he was granted the license of the Globe Inn, which became the family residence. Two daughters were born in Dartmouth, Mary Sarah in 1901 and Annie Maria in 1903.

A Dartmouth newspaper reported that on 19th February 1905 Christopher McCormack, late Master at Arms, R.N. died at the Globe Inn, in his 45th year, “of the effects of a broken blood vessel” (the death registration gives his age as 42, which matches his birthdate).  He left £495 to his widow Annie, whose five children were under eleven years old, the youngest barely two. 

Soon after his death, Annie applied for and was granted transfer of the license of the Globe Inn from her husband to herself. She held the license until May 1907, and some time after that moved to Liverpool, the reason for the move not known.  

By 1911 his widowed mother, aged 43. She advised that they had been married for 18 years, and had 5 children, although this was crossed out. She is living at 43 Upper Milk Street, Liverpool, with four children. Jack 16, is a junior clerk for a provision merchant, Christie, 13, Mary, 9, and Annie, 8, are at school.  They have a 22-year old boarder.  

Before enlisting, Jack worked for John Hughes, a provision merchant.

He enlisted and joined the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 42625 on 05th October 1916. 

He was admitted to 96 Field Ambulance on 28th April 1917 with gun shot wounds to his head and back. He was subsequently admitted to 55 Field Ambulance on 29th April 1917.

John succumbed to his wounds on 03rd May 1917, aged 22, and he now rests at  Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"RIP"

In November 1916, the village of Ficheux was behind the German front line, but by April 1917, the German withdrawal had taken the line considerably east of the village and in April and May, the VII Corps Main Dressing Station was posted near for the Battles of Arras. It was followed by the 20th and 43rd Casualty Clearing Stations, which remained at Boisleux-au-Mont until March 1918, and continued to use the Bucquoy Road Cemetery begun by the field ambulances. From early April to early August 1918 the cemetery was not used but in September and October, the 22nd, 30th and 33rd Casualty Clearing Stations came to Boisleux-au-Mont and extended it. By the date of the Armistice, it contained 1,166 burials but was greatly increased when graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields and from small cemeteries in the neighbourhood. 

The cemetery now contains 1,901 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 168 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 23 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials commemorate 21 casualties buried by their comrades in Henin-sur-Cojeul German Cemetery, whose graves could not be found on concentration.

The cemetery was used again in May 1940 for the burial of troops killed during the German advance. There are 136 burials and commemorations of the Second World War; 26 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate 39 soldiers whose graves in the cemetery could not be specifically located.

His death was reported in the Crosby Herald on the 28th September;

His loss was the second son lost to the family, the story featured in an article in the Liverpool Evening Express on 12th June 1917: 

LIVERPOOLS FALLEN HEROES.

Fate of Two brothers. 

Mrs. Annie McCormack, of 8, Shafetsbury-road, Great Crosby, widow of the late C.McCormack, of H.M.Navy, has suffered a double bereavement, her two sons, Harry, and John, having recently fallen in action. Both were privates in the King's (Liverpool Regiment), Harry, who was in his 24th year and was killed in action in France on March 19th, was previously employed at Threlfall's, and John, aged 22, died from wounds received in action on May 3rd, was a member of John Hughes's office staff.  

His brother, Harry, was 269356 Private Henry Leo McCormack, of the 7th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment, who died of wounds on 19th March 1917. He now rests at Lijssenthoek Military Cememtery, Belgium. His CWGC record shows he was a married man, his wife's details being Emily Kershaw (formerly McCormack), of 31, Holden Street, Blundellsands, Liverpool. 

His brother Chris had joined up and was in training at the time of his brothers’ deaths. 

His mother, at 8 Shaftesbury Road, Great Crosby, was awarded a pension of 8/- a week from November 1917. She also received his Army effects, Army Pay of £2 7s 3d and a War Gratuity of £3. (His brother Harry was married and his dependent’s pension went to his widow.) 

On the 1921 Census at Shaftesbury Road widowed mother Annie is, aged 54, and is living with Christopher 23, and Annie 18. 

His mother appears to have died in 1930, aged 63.

Both brothers are commemorated on the Memorial in Saints Peter & Paul R.C. Church, Liverpool Road, Crosby and the Crosby and Blundellsands Memorial.

We currently have no further information on John Christopher McCormack, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.