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Pte. John Frederick Rossington
British Army Army Ordnance Corps. North Staffordshire Regiment
from:Boston, Lincolnshire
(d.26th March 1918)
My Grandfather John Frederick Rossington was born in Boston Lincolnshire and worked for George Wimple, general dealer at 32 High Street Boston. His parents where Mr and Mrs Joseph Thomas Rossington of 32 Albert Road, Frampton Place, Boston, Lincolnshire. He was married to Lily Rossington also of Boston.
John Frederick Rossington gave up his job and enlisted voluntarily on the 13th April 1915 at the age of 19 years 120 days old, Initially he joined the Army Ordnance Corps then then transferred to the Durham Light Infantry and afterwards to the North Staffordshire Regiment. After initial training he sailed for Egypt on November 1st. 1915 but was invalided home with dysentery. On recovery he was drafted to France but returned again to England with trench fever. He was on final leave about six weeks before he was killed. On September 25th 1917 he married Lily Longstaff, the daughter of William Longstaff, one of the Boston port pilots, of 37 Tawney Street, Boston. John left one child a daughter, Joy Gertrude Rossington.
At the start of Operation Michael on the 23rd March 1918 he was moved out of Ypres, Belgium and went into action at Mericourt, south of Albert on the Somme, on the 24th, they were forced back and on the 25th had retreated 2 miles, on the 26th. while they where still retreating he was killed in the vicinity of Dernancourt. My Grandfather body was never recovered and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial. After research I think he is buried at Dernancourt communal cemetery with his friends who also fell on that day but have known graves.
