BORN SELBY, YORKSHIRE, 1888. SON OF THOMAS JINKS (1857-1919) & BRIDGET CONNELLY (1860-1928), OF SELBY, OF 6, PARADISE ROW, HULL (1911 CENSUS); 13, SYKES STREET, HULL AND 12, CLARKES SQUARE, SYKES STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). HE HAD TWO BROTHERS AND TWO SISTERS.
A LABOURER. DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT , 5 INCHES TALL, 127 LBS WEIGHT, 35-37 INCH CHEST, GREY EYES, DARK BROWN HAIR, GOOD PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL, ON 04/09/1914. SERVED WITH THE 11TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. POSTED TO FRANCE, ON 13/07/1915. WOUNDED IN THE RIGHT SHOULDER, ON 09/02/1917 AND RETURNED TO ENGLAND, ON 19/02/1917. POSTED TO FRANCE AGAIN., ON 27/07/1917. BADLY WOUNDED, DURING THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE. LEFT ARM AMPUTATED AT FIELD DRESSING STATION, WHICH WAS THEN CAPTURED BY THEGERMANS IN THEIR ADVANCE. HE DIED OF WOUNDS, AT PALLEUL, ON 30/03/1918, AGED 29. HE HAD SERVED IN THE ARMY FOR 3 YEARS AND 202 DAYS. HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS MOTHER, BRIDGET.
HIS NAME IS LISTED ON ST CHARLES BORROMEO CATHOLIC CHURCH MEMORIAL, JARRATT STREET, HULL.
Hull Pals Memorial Post. PRIVATE JOHN WILLIAM JINKS 12227. Born in Selby in July 1888, John, known by his middle name, William, was the eldest son of Thomas and Bridget Jinks of 12 Clarks Yard, Sykes Street, Hull (War pension address). An Oil Mill Labourer by trade, he enlisted at Hull City Hall on 9th September 1914 in the 7th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment and was therefore not an Original Pal even though he joined-up at the same time. Rather than shipping to Egypt with the Pals, he landed in France in the summer of 1915 and served with the 7th until he was wounded in the abdomen in February 1917 when he was shipped back to England to recover. When he was reposted it was with the 13th Battalion and he joined the 11th when the two merged in February 1918. Listed as missing on 25th March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive, papers released by the German authorities after the war was over revealed he had died in a field hospital following the amputation of his left arm on 30th March. He was buried nearby and exhumed after the Armistice, finally being laid to rest at Ontario Cemetery, Sains-Les-Marquion; he was 29 years old.
Background. When the German spring offensive opened on 21 March 1918, 31st Division was in reserve, with 10th and 11th EYR Battalions digging trenches in the ‘Army Line’ behind the front. On 23 March the division was sent up to hold off the German attack at St Léger, but 92 Bde remained in reserve at Ervillers, improvising the defences. Ervillers was attacked on the evening of 24 March, the defence being confused by British troops retreating from the forward defences. Two companies of 10th Bn were pushed up to reinforce 11th Bn fighting in the village streets. About midnight a German patrol got into the village, but was captured by 11th Bn’s HQ staff. The following day the 11th Bn was reinforced by 10th Bn Manchester Regiment of 42nd (East Lancashire) Division and their combined fire stopped the German advance. However, events elsewhere meant that the 31st and 42nd Divisions were ordered on the morning of 27 March to retire through Courcelles-le-Comte.
On 27th March 1917, the brigade defended Ayette aerodrome against repeated attacks from 11.20am to 16.30pm, when with both flanks ‘in the air’, the brigade pulled back to the partly-dug ‘Purple Line’ in front of Ayette village. Between 24 and 27 March, 10th EYR Bn had lost 211 officers and men, and was praised “for its exceptional gallantry on March 27” by the Commander in Chief of the BEF, Sir Douglas Haig. During the night, Lt-Col Headlam of 10th Bn led up a composite battalion of troops from the quartermasters’ details of all three battalions to take over part of the Purple Line, and they helped to recover some 18-pounder ammunition from behind enemy lines, which was fired the following day. Although fighting continued elsewhere along the line, 28 March was a quieter day for 92 Bde, and 11th Bn took over some trenches started by 210th Field Company, Royal Engineers, which they continued to dig. The brigade was relieved on 31 March and marched back to billets near Pommier.
