Description
Military Cross GV, unnamed as issued, 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medal, 2nd Lieut John Thomas Lakin, 8th Bn Yorkshire Regiment.
1914-15 Star officially impressed: “43794 L. Cpl T. Lakin. R.E.”
BWM & Victory officially impressed: “Lieut J.T. Lakin.”
Swing mounted for wear on old ribbons. On a “W Scully Montreal” marked ribbon bar from when the medals were mounted in Canada.
Military Cross announced with Citation in the London Gazette of 25th August 1917:
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in commanding his company when all the officers had become casualties.
He showed great initiative and ability in organising his men and consolidating the captured position, and the following day, when his trenches were almost obliterated by hostile shell fire, he exposed himself recklessly, encouraging his men by his disregard of danger.”
At the time of the award of the Military Cross, John was fresh out of officer training when he proved his bravery, being only a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant.
According to the Battalion War Diary, he was presented with his Military Cross Ribbon by Major General Babington on 25th July 1917:
“Major General Sir J.M. Babington KCMG inspected the Battalion at 10.30am, he also presented Medal Ribbons to:-
Military Cross – 2/Lieut J.T. Lakin, Military Medals – Pte H. Guy, Pte J. Wood, Pte H. Dresser, Pte S. Watson. who were not present at the previous parade, Weather rainy.” (The award was intended for 10th July but he was away at the time)
The Award was most likely, based on the war diary entries an award for the previous battles at Hill 60 fought between 5th to 12th June 1917.
His award was awarded at the same time as Captain B.L. Pearson MC, who earned the DSO for this action, there attack led to heavy Officer casualties requiring 2nd Lt Lakin to step up.
By the end of the fighting, Captain EN Lambert and 2nd Lieut W. Buckle had been killed or died of wounds
Captain BL Pearson MC, Lieut AG McCullock, 2nd Lieut CW Jones, 2nd Lieut JLL Armstrong, Lieut JT Shaw, 2nd Lieut WH Mitchell, 2nd Lieut HJ SMith and 2nd Lieut AT Dudley were all left wounded in action.
Amongst the other ranks, they lost 35 Killed or DOW, 13 missing, and 191 wounded.
A detailed writeup including letters from the wounded Captain Pearson in the action can be found here:
https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/we-will-remember-them/bertram-lamb-pearson/?SearchValue=&Surname=True&Area=False&Regiment=False
The battle was part of the Battle of Messines, an extract about the battle is at the bottom of the description.
Originally when he started his war service he was a Lance Corporal in the Royal Engineers, serving under his middle name “Thomas Lakin”, the name he used as a young man.
He had first landed for service in France on 15th July 1915.
London Gazette, 17th March 1917 lists him as going from Cadets to be Temporary 2nd Lieutenants in the Yorkshire Regiment, dated 1st March 1917.
He joined the 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, The Green Howards in France.
In “The Green Howards in the Great War” reports the following from September 1917:
“Lieutenant John Lakin and 15 other ranks from 8th Yorkshire Regiment were sent to Jackdaw Dump as Prisoner Escorts; however, they acquired some mules and moved all the S.A.A and bombs that had been left on the duckboards at the dump, closer to the front line.”
LIFE
John Thomas Lakin, was a Yorkshireman, born in Featherstone, Yorkshire, circa 1893.
Technically he was born in Pontefract, and baptised on 29th May 1893, at Purston-Cum-South in Featherstone.
The son of Thomas Lakin, a Miner, and Emily Lakin nee Hill.
After the war he moved to Banbury, where he worked in 1921 as a Mechanical Engineer fro Samuelsons and Co Milling Engineers.
By 1911, his father was by this time an Innkeeper, and most of his family worked in the Colliery below ground.
A 17 year old John was a Blacksmith Striker also working at the Colliery.
Most of his census entries, 1901 and 1911 show him as “Thomas” or “J. Thomas”, it looks like this was his preferred name as a child and the reason he signed up with the Royal Engineers with this name.
Following his time in Banbury, he chose to make a new life for himself in Canada, leaving for their aged 29.
John was not born into wealth, and had no real opportunities as a child, his family all worked in the Yorkshire Coal Mines, and he too ended up there as a Blacksmith before the war.
With new opportunities thanks to the British Army he rose up from a simple Sapper to Lance Corporal in the Royal Engineers, straight into an infantry Commission in his home town unit, the Yorkshire Regiment.
Only a temporary 2nd Lieutenant he showed great gallantry in earning his Military Cross a few months out of training.
After the war he took the opportunity to study as a Mechanical Engineer living in Banbury, setting off for Canada as a Draughtsman.
On 17th March 1923, John Thomas Lakin, a 29 year old Bachelor, arrived in the Cabin Class of SS Ausonia to start a new life in Canada.
He stated that his objective in going to Canada was: “To make my home”.
He had never been there before he was a single young man with only $75 on him, to start a new job with the Wayagamack Pulp and Paper Manufactuers in Three Rivers, Quebec as a Draughtsman.
Starting a new life for himself in Quebec, he married Ethel Almida Dora Lakin nee Roy, the local daughters of a Reverend, Jean Jacques Roy.
In 1926 it was noted he was a Curler, who played for the “Wayagamack Rinks” Curling Team.
He lived a long life there and died in Quebec, during 1981 at the age of about 87-88, being buried in Mount Hermon Cemetery, Sillery, Quebec.
He died 2 years after his wife, they are buried together here:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/245464765/john_thomas-lakin
Tragically in 1979 his apartment was subject to a massive blaze and the 85 year old was left out on the street, over 100 fire fighters were on the scene to contain the fire. He was not insured as the insurers had “Told me I didn’t have enough furniture to insure.”
A large photograph of him was published in the Montreal Gazette, 27th March 1979, sitting outside with his belongings.
Service at the Battles of Messines, in June 1917, Excerpt From “The Green Howards in the Great War” by John Sheen
““8/Yorkshire Regiment at Messines:
“On the night of 5–6 June 8/Yorkshire Regiment moved out at 8.30 p.m. and marched up towards the trenches. On the way up they met heavy hostile shelling in places with intermittent bursts of lachrymatory and gas shells. Gas helmets had to be worn and the battalion had eleven casualties from this shelling on the way up. Battalion HQ, B, D and C Companies less two platoons of C went into the Larch Wood tunnels. A Company and two platoons of C Company went to S.P.9. The next day, 6 June, was uneventful and the assembly trenches were inspected. Platoons were given their exit points from the tunnels and as far as possible everyone rested. At 2 a.m. on 7 June A Company and the two platoons with it moved to Panama Canal and Jackson Avenue and at 2.30 a.m. the battalion was in its assembly trenches. The Commanding Officer made a point of going round and inspecting the men in these positions, presumably to let those going over he was there with them. By all accounts the men were in excellent spirits and morale was high. Shelling by both sides died down and by 3a.m. it was almost nothing. However the enemy were constantly sending up very lights from Hill 60. Everything was ready:
“At 3 a.m. the men got out of the assembly trenches and lay down in front of them. At 3.10 a.m. the ground shook and trembled. All along the front the nineteen mines exploded and the guns opened fire. The advance was difficult owing to the darkness, but a steady advance was maintained. A and B Companies had made allowances for the lips of the craters being more extensive and accordingly made unnecessarily large detours. This however, they remedied on reaching the high ground. Both Captain Lambert M.C. and Captain Pearson M.C. handled their companies with great skill and gallantry. They broadened their front, changed direction half left and half right respectively and captured the RED objective with Great dash.
Meanwhile, C Company under Captain Atkinson had been advanced direct on the two mine craters. Any enemy resistance was at once overcome and consolidation was commenced at 3.20 a.m. Battalion headquarters had started in front of the leading wave; but on reaching DEEP SUPPORT were so far in front of the battalion that a halt had to be made They pushed on again at 3.20 a.m. and by 3.30 a.m. were established on the eastern slope of Hill 60 at the Mound according to instructions received from Brigade. The Battalion signallers had followed with the fourth wave laying a wire as they advanced.
In the meantime, A and B Companies with hardly a check on the Red Line had pushed onto the BLUE Line which fault the Commanding Officer attributed to the fact that the enemy ran from shell holes near the objective, and men could not be restrained from pursuit. Also the hostile trenches had been so destroyed that it was difficult to verify one’s position. Both companies pushed out patrols according to orders; but these were beyond our own barrage for three hours.
At 3 hours 40 minutes after zero hour, D Company passed through in artillery formation and occupied the BLACK Line with hardly a casualty and meeting practically no resistance. As, however, the troops on their left and right had not advanced so far, D Company accordingly withdrew and immediately got in touch with both flanks. The morning was spent in reorganising in depth, consolidating and putting strong points in a state of defence, carrying up material, stores, food water and ammunition.”
