Early Life :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

Sussex People: "On the day after his arrival at the battalion, John Shoesmith was one of four men killed by an enemy shell. The war diary says of the events of 2 November 1916:

Battalion moved to huts in Martinsart Wood. Working party of 250 O.R. was supplied for work on the Authuille – Mouquet Ferme Rd. Work proceeded satisfactorily till about 1.30pm, when a hostile aeroplane flew over and shortly afterwards the road was shelled. Battalion regrets the loss of 4 killed and 2 wounded.

The other men killed with John Shoesmith were G/16401 Walter William Bailey (aged 41), and brothers 20-year old G/16471 George Frederick Newnham and 27-old G/16470 William James Newnham, the sons of Son of William and Elizabeth Newnham, of 14 Marmion Road, Clapham Common. Like John, they had enlisted into the 4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment at Brighton in the summer of 1916 and transferred to the 13th Battalion. The three men were recruited together, trained together and, sadly, were killed together.

The bodies of the four men were not recovered and they are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial which records the names of over 72,000 British Empire soldiers who were killed in the Battles of the Somme who have no known grave."

John is also commemorated on the war memorial at St. George’s church in Leeds city centre.

Masonic :

Sussex People: "On 19 February 1916, John Shoesmith was one of three men who were initiated into Knights of the Road Lodge No 3673, meeting at The Royal Pavilion in Brighton. He was passed to the Second Degree on 15 April and raised to the degree of a Master Mason on 27 May, by which time he had enlisted in the army. Knights of the Road Lodge had been consecrated on 19 June 1913 and the majority of its members at this time were commercial travellers. John’s Grand Lodge certificate was issued on 19 June 1916, but it is doubtful if he was able to attend further lodge meetings in view of his military service. The two brethren initiated with John Shoesmith were 26-year old art teacher Clarence Mackenzie and 43-year old life assurance manager James Parkhouse. Clarence Valery Mackenzie (1889–1948) moved to Dudley in the West Midlands after the war and joined Harmonic Lodge No 252. He had a modest career as an artist and several of his paintings were on display in Dudley Art Gallery until December 2016, when the gallery was closed. (For images of some of his paintings, see the Art UK website.)James George Parkhouse (1873–1953) was the District Superintendent for a life assurance company. In late 1914, his eldest son, 17 year-old James Harold Parkhouse enlisted in the 3rd South Downs Battalion as Private SD/2760. On 30 June 1916, now Lance Corporal with the 13th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, he was killed at the Battle of the Boars Head on what became known as “The Day that Sussex Died”."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Website : Sussex People - Masonic Roll