No. 201403   4th Battalion. Suffolk Regiment, who died on 23rd April 1917, aged 35.

John has no known grave and is remembered at the Arras Memorial and the Ipswich Memorial.
He was born in Hasketon 1882, son of Samuel and Florence Race. In 1911 he was living in Ipswich at 56 Curriers Lane, working as a Railway Carman.

He died during the Battle of the Scarpe whilst fighting near Arras.

Personal details

John’s father Samuel Race was born in Stonham Aspel in 1860 and worked as a Groom and coachman, and his mother Florence, was born in Ipswich in 1867.  John George was their 1st child, having younger siblings Samuel [B. Stonham, 1885], Arthur James [B. Ipswich, 1892] and Alice[B. Ipswich, 1896].

War service.

John George joined the Suffolk Regiment and served in the 4th Battalion. Arrived in France after 1915, so eligible for the British and Victory medals. Date of death, 23rd April 1917, indicates he died during the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe, probably fighting around the Sensee River by Guemappe near Arras. After initial success the Suffolks faced determined German counterattacks, and were compelled to fall back. 4th battalion casualties for the day were 315.