John Crawshaw Raynes
Sergeant, 'A' Battery. * Royal Field Artillery
- Register No.
- 1026 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Sergeant (register: Acting Sergeant) all Sergeants →
- Unit
- 'A' Battery. * Royal Field Artillery all Royal Field Artillery VCs →
- Date of action
- 11 October 1915 on this day → all of 1915 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 18th November 1915 on this day → all of 1915 →
- Born
- 28th April 1887 at Ecclesall, Sheffield, Yorkshire
- Died
- 13th November 1929 at Leeds, Yorkshire
- Memorial / grave
- at Harehills Cemetery, Leeds, Yorkshire
Digest of citation
At Fosse 7 de Bethune, in France, on 11th October 1915 , Sergeant Raynes' battery was under heavy bombardment by armour- piercing and gas shells. 'Cease fire ' was ordered and the sergeant, under intense shellfire, went out, forty yards,to the aid of Sergeant Ayres, who was wounded. Bandaging the wounded man, he then returned to his gun when it was ordered into action. Another ceasefire order was given and Sergeant Raynes, with the help of two gunners, went out and brought Sergeant Ayres to safety. Both the other rescuers were killed a little later. When a gas shell burst at the entrance to the dug-out, Sergeant Raynes ran again, over open ground, to fetch his own smoke helmet and place it on Sergeant Ayres. Although badly gassed himself, he managed to stagger back to serve his gun. The following day, at Quality Street, a house was demolished by a heavy shell, burying four men. The first one rescued was Sergeant Raynes, and although wounded in both head and leg, he insisted assisting in the rescue of the others, under heavy shell fire. Once his wounds were dressed, he returned to his own gun, which was still being heavily shelled
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
RAYNES, John Crawshaw. (reg No. 1026)
Sergeant. 'A' Battery. * Royal Field Artillery.
London Gazetted on 18th November 1915.
Born on 28th April 1887 at Ecclesall, Sheffield, Yorkshire.
Died on 13th November 1929 at Leeds, Yorkshire.
Memorial on grave at Harehills Cemetery, Leeds, Yorkshire.
Digest of Citation reads: At Fosse 7 de Bethune, in France, on 11th October 1915 , Sergeant Raynes' battery was under heavy bombardment by armour- piercing and gas shells. 'Cease fire ' was ordered and the sergeant, under intense shellfire, went out, forty yards,to the aid of Sergeant Ayres, who was wounded. Bandaging the wounded man, he then returned to his gun when it was ordered into action. Another ceasefire order was given and Sergeant Raynes, with the help of two gunners, went out and brought Sergeant Ayres to safety. Both the other rescuers were killed a little later. When a gas shell burst at the entrance to the dug-out, Sergeant Raynes ran again, over open ground, to fetch his own smoke helmet and place it on Sergeant Ayres. Although badly gassed himself, he managed to stagger back to serve his gun. The following day, at Quality Street, a house was demolished by a heavy shell, burying four men. The first one rescued was Sergeant Raynes, and although wounded in both head and leg, he insisted assisting in the rescue of the others, under heavy shell fire. Once his wounds were dressed, he returned to his own gun, which was still being heavily shelled.
* 71st Brigade.
Additional information:. He was the son of Mr and Mrs Stephen Raynes of Sheffield. He married Mabel Dawson at the Leeds Registry Office on the 24th April 1907. They had one son John Kenneth who was born on 30th January 1912.
Additional information
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Stephen Raynes of Sheffield. He married Mabel Dawson at the Leeds Registry Office on the 24th April 1907. They had one son John Kenneth who was born on 30th January 1912.
* 71st Brigade.
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Alf recorded the memorial as: at Harehills Cemetery, Leeds, Yorkshire
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