Lance Sergeant John Albert Limbert

West Yorkshire Regiment (21^st Battalion), Service no. 21/1065

Son of Thomas Limbert and Isabella Heckles, husband of Rhoda Cousins

Died 14^th October 1917 aged 24

Story

Lance Sergeant Limbert was born in 1893 in Garforth, and was residing at 40 Gascoigne Terrace, Garforth in 1911, working as a Railway Porter. He joined the police force and was promoted to Constable on 9^th January 1914, before marrying Rhoda Cousins in 1915. The couple moved away to Rhoda’s home village near Sheffield. John’s mother, Isabella Limbert (née Heckles) passed away in Kippax in 1915.

John enlisted for army service in Halifax, joining the 21^st battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment, which was a pioneer battalion that suffered 182 casualties during the War. Lance Sergeant Limbert died of wounds. His widow Rhoda received £12 2s 2d on the 11^th February 1918 from the army after her husband’s death, and a further £8 on 15^th November 1919. Rhoda never re-married, and passed away in 1963. John’s death was reported in the local press, as below:

Death of Private [sic] Limbert. The wife of Private John Albert Limbert has been notified that he was wounded in action on the 9th October, and died on the 14th October at the age of 24. Private Limbert volunteered for service two years ago, enlisting in the West Yorkshire Regiment. He was for four years in the West Riding Police Force previous to enlistment. Private Limbert is the son of Mr and the late Mrs Thomas Limbert, of Butt Hill, Kippax.
Leeds Skyrack Express, 26th October 1917

John is buried at the Dozinghem Military Cemetery (below right), which is one of three casualty clearing station cemeteries north-west of Poperinge with names wryly made up by soldiers at the time in imitation of Flemish place names. The other two are Mendinghem and Bandaghem.

21st (Service) Battalion (Wool Textile Pioneers)

Formed in Halifax on 24 September 1915 by the Lord Mayor and City of Leeds, and moved to Skipton in February 1916, and to France in June 1916, coming under orders of 4th Division as Pioneer Battalion.

Below left: At the Battle of Polygon Wood 26 September – 3 October 1917, men of the West Yorkshire Regiment sitting in a captured German pill box, waiting to go into action, near the St Julien, Grafenstafel Road. Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, with thanks.