Pte 235256 John Schlank

John was born Johannis Schlank in Liverpool on 17th December 1881, the son of Julius and Hannah Schlank (née Cutler). Very little is known of his parents. They married in January 1881 in St. Peter’s Church, Liverpool, his father’s occupation given as mariner (his surname written as Schloenk).  His father was 26 and his mother 23.

 

John was baptised in St. Peter’s Priory R. C. Church on 04th January 1882, as Johanes.

 

A daughter Catherine was born in 1883.

 

His mother died in May 1884, aged 26, living at 73 Pitt Street. John was 2 years old. His sister Catherine died a few months later, in September, at the age of 11 months.  Her address is given as 44 Sparling Street (which was possibly the address of her maternal grandmother, indicating that the children lived with their grandmother after their mother’s death, as their father was at sea).  

 

His mother and sister were both buried in public graves in the Roman Catholic section of Anfield Cemetery.

 

John was orphaned at the age of 4 when his father died of illness at the age of 32 in 1886, whilst employed as a cook on the Glengarry, when the ship was in port in Rangoon (then India).

 

Probate of the estate (£10-12s-5d) of Julius Schlanck, late of Sparling Street, Liverpool, mariner in the Merchant Service, a widower, who died 11 June 1886 in Rangoon, India, was granted to Elizabeth Cutler, of 28 Sparling Street, widow, the grandmother and guardian of Johannis Schlanck, an infant, the son and only next of kin. 

 

But in 1890 John (Johannes), age 9, of 17 Upper Pitt Street, grandson of Elizabeth Cutler, same address, father Julius dead, is found on the Liverpool Workhouse register. He was discharged on 20th June 1890, to Liverpool Industrial Schools (Kirkdale) and from there discharged on 10th October 1890 to the Seaman’s Orphanage.

 

The 1891 Census finds John (Johannes), age 9, an inmate in the Liverpool Seaman’s Orphanage.  

 

Unfortunately, John/Johannes has not been found on the 1901 census, or on crew lists.

 

John married Mary Ellen Burgess, born in Congleton, in the March quarter of 1910 in Congleton, Cheshire.  No children were born to the marriage.

 

The 1911 Census finds the couple at 2 Herbert Street, Congleton.  John, 29, is a traveller for the sale of cattle foods, Mary Ellen is 39. They have a 61-year old boarder, John Henry Bennison from Yorkshire.

 

Before enlisting John was employed in the Empire Mill, Congleton (for Stott & Smith Ltd.).

He enlisted in Congleton and served originally as Private 203589, Yorkshire Regiment. Following a transfer he was serving in the 18^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 235256 when he was killed in action on the 02nd May 1918 aged 36 during the German Spring Offensive.

 

In late April 1918 the 18th Bn was in the line at Elzenwalle during the German assault on the Scherpenberg. The Battalion War Diary for 2nd May records,

“Command of the sector was eventually handed over to the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry at 3 a.m. May 1st/2nd and the Battn proceeded via Vijverhoek, St. Hubertshoer, and Ouderdom to huts at Scottish Camp, in G.23.b, where billets for the Battalion and positions for 6” Howitzers had been arranged.  The Battalion arrived, by Companies, between 3 and 5 a.m. and the Howitzer batteries opened fire as the men were going to sleep.  The enemy counter-battery fire was very prompt and rigorous and several huts were at once blown up, causing a number of casualties.  The Battalion at once moved to an empty camp, away from gun positions, in G.11.c.”  

John was apparently one of those killed at Scottish Camp.  

Casualties for the action at Elzenwalle, April 27th - May 2nd 1918:

Officers: 1 Killed

O.R.: 22 Killed, 71 Wounded

 

John was buried together with Pte. Robert Lennon, 57549, 18th K.L.R., with a cross marking their grave, at map reference G.23.a.5.7.  In October 1919 their bodies were removed and reinterred in Klein Vierstraat British Cemetery. 

The village of Kemmel and the adjoining hill, Mont Kemmel, were the scene of fierce fighting in the latter half of April 1918, in which both Commonwealth and French forces were engaged.

The cemetery was begun in January 1917 and Plots I to III were made by field ambulances and fighting units before the middle of January 1918. Plot IV was begun in April 1918. After the Armistice, graves were brought into Plot I, Row H, and Plots IV to VII, from two smaller cemeteries (FERME HENRI PATTYN-VANLAERES, Poperinghe and MONT-VIDAIGNE MILITARY CEMETERY, Westoutre) and from the battlefields of Dikkebus, Loker and Kemmel.

Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery now contains 805 First World War burials, 109 of them unidentified.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

John’s name appeared in the list of K.L.R. Killed published in the Weekly Casualty List on 18th June 1918.

 

Soldiers’ Effects (giving his battalion as 5th K.L.R.) shows that Mary Ellen received John’s Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £7. She was awarded a pension of 15/- a week from November 1918.  

 

Mary Ellen, 67, was still living at 2 Herbert Street, Congleton, in 1939 (listed as Ellen M.). She died on 06th February 1943.

 

John is commemorated on the following memorials -

Congleton War Memorial

Manchester Employers’ Roll of Honour

Cheshire Roll of Honour

He is also remembered on Mary Ellen’s gravestone in St. Stephen’s Churchyard, Congleton: