Pte 53165 John Thomas Corke

• Age: 23
• From: Crockham Hill, Kent
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 2nd May 1918
• Commemorated at: Esquelbecq Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: H.B.25

John Thomas Corke was born in the third quarter of 1895, his birth was registered in Sevenoaks, Kent.

The 1901 Census finds five year old John living at Crockham Hill, with his 70 year old grandmother, Mary Ann Corke, who is a widow born in 1831 in Meopham, Kent. Also declared is a lodger, George Theobald, a 39 year old general labourer.  

The 1911 Census shows John as a 15 year old domestic gardener living with his parents and sister at Franchise Lodge, Burwash, Sussex. His father is John Corke, a 44 year old domestic gardener, born in Weterham, Kent, his mother, Emma Corke is also 44 years old and was born in Charlwood, Surrey. They advise that they have been married for 8 years and have had one child. His sister, Ellen is 7 years old and was born in 1904.        

He enlisted in Tonbridge, Kent and served originally as Private 4498 in the Royal West Kent Regiment.

Following a transfer he was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 53165.

He died of shrapnel wounds and compound fractures of his right humerus and femur at 9.45 pm on the 02nd May 1918 at O. C. 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He was  23 years of age and received his wounds during the 1918 German Spring Offensive. 

He now rests at  Esquelbecq Military Cemetery, France.

The cemetery was opened in April 1918 during the early stages of the German offensive in Flanders, when the 2nd Canadian and 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations came to Esquelbecq. It was closed in September 1918, although one French grave was added in 1919 and one British soldier from 1916 was added later from an isolated site.

The cemetery was used again during the Second World War, mainly for the burial of those killed during the German advance of May 1940 and the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force to Dunkirk.

Esquelbecq Military Cemetery contains 578 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 47 from the Second World War. There are also 11 French and German burials.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

John is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

Burwash War Memorial 

Roll of Honour located within St Bartholomew’s Church, Burwash.

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