Private John Atkins

Army Number: 78202 (formerly 18600 South Staffordshire Regiment)

Battalion: 2/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment.

Born at West Bromwich, Staffordshire and lived at 24, King Street, West Bromwich. Son of Clara Atkins, of 5, Salop Street, Wolverhampton. He was a coal miner and enlisted at Birmingham on 19th April 1915.

He went to France on 23rd February 1916 and suffered a gunshot wound to his right wrist in April 1916. He was invalided to England on 29th April 1916, where he was treated at Brockenhurst British Military Hospital, Hampshire. On recovery, returned to France 2nd March 1917 being transferred to the 11th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment. On the 19th of May 1917, he was treated at the 25th Field Ambulance for complications to the original wound to his wrist sustained in April 1916. He was admitted to hospital in Rouen on 24th May 1917 and invalided to England via Hospital Ship “Western Australia” 26th May 1917. He was admitted to the 2nd Western General Hospital in Manchester on 27th May 1917 and was discharged on 14th June 1917.

He returned to France on 28th July 1917, was posted to the 16th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment on 29th July 1917 and then to the 2/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment. 12th August 1917. He was killed in action, 26th September 1917, during the attack on Otto Farm near Gravenstafel, Belgium.

Buried New Irish Farm Cemetery, Belgium. Plot 21. Row F. Grave 18.