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Casualty Details
Name: DONNISON, JOHN RICHARD
Initials: J R
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Yorkshire Regiment
Unit Text: "D" Coy. 2nd Bn.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 12/03/1915
Service No: 3/7810
Additional information: Son of Richard and Amy Donnison, of 9, Erimus Terrace, Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorks.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 12.
Memorial: LE TOURET MEMORIAL
In Memory of
Private JOHN RICHARD DONNISON
3/7810, "D" Coy. 2nd Bn., Yorkshire Regiment
who died age 20 on 12 March 1915
Son of Richard and Amy Donnison, of 9, Erimus Terrace, Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorks.
Remembered with honour LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Neuve Chapelle
General Sir Douglas Haig, and four divisions of Britain's First Army, advanced along a 3km front on the morning of 10th March. At Neuve Chapelle the British were able to break through a line held by a division of the German Sixth Army. However, after three days fighting the British had gained land from the Germans totalling 2,000 yards wide by 1,200 yards deep for 7,000 British and 4,000 Indian casualties.
Count Prince Rupprecht quickly counter-attacked, and although Haig was able to retain Neuve Chapelle, he had to abandon plans to advance towards Aubers Ridge. At the end of the offensive, the British Expeditionary Force gained 2 square kilometres of land at a cost of 13,000 casualties.
(1) Ernest Swinton, official report distributed to the British press on the offensive at Neuve Chapelle (15th March, 1915)
At 7.30 a.m. on the 10th the battle began with a bombardment by large numbers of guns and howitzers. Our men in the trenches describe this fire as being the most tremendous both on point of noise and in actual effect they have ever seen or heard. The shrieking of the shells in the air, their explosions and the continuous thunder of the batteries all merged into one great volume of sound. The discharges of the guns were so rapid that they sounded like the fire of a gigantic machine-gun. During the 35 minutes it continued our men could show themselves freely and even walk about, in perfect safety.
Then the signal for the attack was given, and in less than half an hour almost the whole of the elaborate series of German trenches in and about Neuve Chapelle were in our hands. Except at one point there was hardly any resistance, for the trenches, which is places were literally blotted out, were filled with dead and dying partially buried in earth and debris, and the majority of the survivors were in no mood for further fighting.
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