Tipton

Serjeant 11369 John Arthur Wise

 
Grave photograph courtesy of www.livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk

Died Home on Friday, 27th September 1918, age unknown.
Buried in Grave marked as Special Memorial. at Wolverhampton Borough Cemetery, Staffs, United Kingdom.

9th Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment (Pioneers). Pioneer Battalion of 23rd Division.

Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Wolverhampton, Resident: Bilston.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Christ Church, Coseley Memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/395003/

Genealogical Data

1901 Census
27a Yew Tree Lane, Coseley, Staffs.
Mary Wise (42, Head, born Sedgley), and her 5 children: John (20, Iron Works Labourer, born Sedgley), William (17, Iron Works Labourer, born Sedgley), Joseph (13, born South Wales), Earnest (8, born Sedgley), and Frederick (4, born Sedgley).

1911 Census
38 Yew Tree Lane, Coseley, nr Bilston, Staffs.
John Arthur Wise (29, Blacksmith's Striker, born Bloomfield, Tipton), his wife Elizabeth (24, born Daisy Bank, Coseley), and their 3 children: William (3, born Coseley), Mary (1, born Coseley), and John (5 months, born Coseley).

Personal Data

The Wolverhampton Borough cemetery total of 113 WW1 burials include Alternative Commemorations to 3 servicemen buried in Coseley (Darkhouse) Baptist Chapelyard where their graves could no longer be maintained. John Wise is one of these 3 men.

After John's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £23/19/4d (23 pounds, 19 shillings and 4 pence). This was split £15/15/8d to his mother, Mary A., and £8/3/8d to his widow, Elizabeth, in May and July 1919. His War Gratuity was £22/0/0d (22 pounds exactly), this was split £14/13/4d to his mother, and £7/6/8d to his widow in December 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that John had enlisted in approximately August 1914.

Action resulting in his death

John Wise is recorded as 'Died at Home', this generally indicates that death was due to illness or accident rather than being wounded in action. His Soldier's Effects record shows that he died in Kings Heath, Birmingham, this may have been at Monyhull Hall. This had been a mental institution under the Guardians of the Poor for Birmingham, Kings Norton & Aston from 1905, known as Monyhull Colony. During the First World War, the buildings were used as a military hospital.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.