APPLEBY, John (Jack)

Jack was the fourth child of William Appleby and Jane Ellen Burt. In 1891 he lived with his parents, brothers Thomas (11) and Fred (4) and sister Rachel (8) in Scalby, by Wrea Head, where his father was a farm bailiff. By 1911 his father had become a farmer at Bleak House Farm, Scalby Mills Road, just off Burniston Road. The farmhouse was demolished many years ago and a small block of flats “The Captain’s House” stands there now.
Jack joined the Yorkshire Hussars in 1908. His papers described him as 5’10” tall, chest 35” with a 2” expansion, with fair vision and good physical development. Jack became a lance corporal on 1/12/1915 “appointed in the field by Company Commander, 46th Division.
The regiment spent the winter of 1914/15 in Harlow, Essex, waiting to go to France. B Squadron arrived on 28/2/1915 and proceeded to Ooterseene in Belgium where they were inspected by General Sir John French. Although they took part in the Battle of Loos they never took part in a cavalry charge and spent their time digging trenches, looking after their horses, training and constantly changing billets. In January 1916 they journeyed to Marseilles by train, expecting to be sent to Mesopotamia, only to be sent back two weeks later. The Unit War Diary describes snow, heavy frost, heavy rain and flooding in the winter of 1915/16. Jack’s Army Pension Records state that “he spent 3 weeks in hospital in Abbeville in February 1916 and was then sent back to his unit. He also suffered from “intractable diarrhoea” and his larynx was affected. On 28/2/1916 he presented at the 3rd North Midland Field Ambulance in the Field. Reported sick at the 31st Clearing Station. Detained overnight and sent to No 2 General Hospital Le Harve. Jack arrived at Salford Royal Hospital 3/3/1916 suffering from Phithisis. There was a family history of consumption” The patient was “losing weight, running a sweating temperature, has night sweats, hacking cough” and TB was found to be present. Another report said that he had pneumonia in 1912.
Jack was discharged in York on 12/5/1916 on medical grounds, “permanently unfit for further war service”
The Medical Board opinion was that disability was due to “active service, exposure to weather, and war strain” It declared Jack’s “capacity for earning a full livelihood totally lessened at present”
He died at home on Saturday 2/9/1916, aged 28. His death certificate says that his father was present.
In the Scalby column of the Scarborough Mercury 8/9/1916 it is reported that “Two winters in the trenches and frequent long exposure to the most inclement weather developed in him the latent seeds of consumption.

Thanks to Lesley Newton for the research.