Saturday 15 August 2015

John William Rodwell 1915-1943 age 27

Barnsley Chronicle 6th March 1943
Thanks to Barnsley Archives
Born: 1915. John's birth was registered in Barnsley Q2, but the Army Roll of Honour gives his place of birth as Rotherham.

Son of: Joe Rodwell (born Sheffield 1874-1942, died age 68) and Alice Selina Bainbridge Rodwell nee Smith (1881-1922, died age 41). Both were deceased at the time of John William's death.  

Joe and Alice Selina married on 6th February 1906 at St Edward's Church Barnsley. Joe's address on his marriage certificate was 90 Denton Row, Barnsley and the couple made their home at 29 Back Denton Row. They had many children who did not survive infancy.

  • Doris 1906-1908, died aged 18 months
  • Lily 1907-1908 age 9 months
  • Joe 1909-1911 age 22 months
  • unknown born and died before 1911
  • George  1910- 1929 age 19 years
  • Charles  1912- 1914 died age 23 months
  • Thomas 1913 -1914 age 14 months
  • John William 1915-1943 age 27 died in WW2
  • Elizabeth 1918-1927 age 9 years
  • Mary 1920-1920
  • Fred born in 1922 Q4

As the youngest child Fred's birth was registered in the same month as his mother's death it is reasonable to assume that John William's mother died in childbirth. John lived with his brother Fred at 14 Leopold Street Barnsley.   It is possible that after John's death in 1943 Fred was the only surviving member of his family. 
  
Military Service: John William Rodwell was a Guardsman in the 3rd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards, Service number 2618229

Death: Killed in action on 5th February 1943 in North Africa.  

Buried: Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia in Grave reference 9, A, 5. 
John was initially buried at Baharine, but his body was exhumed and reburied at Medjez-El-Bab on 19th June 1944.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission link: here  
Remembered: St Edward's Church WW2 Memorial plaque, Barnsley 

Note: The Barnsley Chronicle of 6th March 1943 tells us that John joined the Guards in March 1940 and before the war he worked at Wood Bros, Glass Co Ltd. 

Research by James Corbett and Gill Brookes of St Edward's Church, Barnsley

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