HEMMING John

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral.

John Hemming enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 20th September 1914 at Valcartier, Quebec, Canada.  On his attestation paper he gave his date of birth as 12th March 1893 in North Common, Worcestershire, England, his occupation as a labourer and his next of kin as his mother, Mary Ann Hemming, Stonehall Common, Worcester, England.  John was 5 feet 8 inches tall with grey eyes, dark brown hair and a dark complexion.  He sailed for England from Quebec, Canada with his unit on the S.S. Laurentie on 3rd October 1914.

On 15th June 1915 John Hemming was taken to a Casualty Clearing Station with a shrapnel wound to his right ear.  After initial treatment he was transferred to No 14 Ambulance Train and taken for admission to hospital in Rouen.  He was discharged from hospital on 29th June, rejoining his unit on 30th June 1915.  On 31st October 1915 he was granted one weeks leave, rejoining his unit on 7th November 1915.

John Hemming was accidentally killed on 26th January 1916.  The accident led to a Court of Inquiry on 14th February 1916 with witness statements from Capt L. Thomas, Pte J. Hamilton and Pte R. Pope.

John’s medals and decorations were sent to his mother, Mrs Hemming, 142 Industry Road, Darnall, Sheffield, England.

National Archives of Canada Reference: RG150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4243 – 15.

The Canadian War Graves Registry records the following information on Private John Hemming, 6564:
“Killed” (Accidentally)
He was driving a transport wagon while the Battalion was on a Brigade Route March on the night of 26th January 1916.  While crossing the railway track at Godewaere Velde a train collided with the wagon he was driving.  He was killed immediately also the horses drawing the wagon.  A Court of Enquiry convened for the purpose of reporting on the circumstances that led to his death found that “Insufficient warning was given of the approach of the train”.

A photograph of Private John Hemming can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 26th February 1916, available at Worcestershire Archives.