John Geoffrey MIDGLEY

Citations of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, 1914-1920

106321 Corporal J. G. Midgley, 189th Company, R. E. (LG 29 Nov. 1915).

For conspicuous gallantry on the 13th October, 1915. After a gas attack, while standing in the trench with Corporal Lee, Corporal Midgley, with great bravery, went over the parapet to bring in a wounded Highlander, but was hit in the thigh by a piece of shell. Corporal Lee, without hesitation and regardless of danger, immediately went out and brought the wounded man into safety. Both non-commissioned officers gave a fine example of devotion to duty.

113575 Corporal W. E. Lee, 189th Co., R. E. (LG 29 Nov. 1915).

For conspicuous gallantry on the 13th October, 1915. After a gas attack, while he was standing in the trench with Corporal Midgley, the latter, with great bravery, went over the parapet to bring in a wounded Highlander, but was hit in the thigh by a piece of shell. Corporal Lee, without hesitation and regardless of danger, immediately went out and brought the wounded man into safety. Both Non-commissioned Officers gave a fine example of devotion to duty.

DE RUVIGNY'S ROLL OF HONOUR 1914-1918 – Part Three

MIDGLEY, John Geoffrey, D.C.M., Corpl., No. 106321, 188th Coy. Royal Engineers, s. of Samuel Midgley, of 12, Oak Avenue, Bradford, by his wife, Henrietta, dau. of Thomas Tomlinson; b. Bradford, 17 June, 1890; educ. Grammar School and Technical College there; was Works Chemist for J.R. Denison & Co., Dyers, Bradford; a good botanist, and wrote for weekly newspapers, also delivered lectures; in 1913 he spent two months at Balers, Elberfeld; was originally in the 1st Bradford Pals Battn.; volunteered and enlisted in Oct. 1914; went to France 27 July, 1915; wounded in France 13 Oct. 1916 [sic], and died in the Red Cross Hospital, Cirencester, 7 Nov. following. Buried in Bradford. He was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal for attempting to save a wounded Highlander. Second Lieut. J.C. Hill, Commanding his Company, wrote: “At the battle of 13 Oct. 1915, No. 106321, Corpl. Midgley, J.C., carried out his duties with coolness and perfect success, despite an intense bombardment and many serious difficulties. Having completed his own work, his orders were to stand by and wait for me to lead the section out of the firing line as soon as this was practicable. While he was waiting, some of the infantry went over the parapet, were stopped by their own wire, and retired, leaving a wounded Private of the Black Watch in front of the bay where Corpl. Midgley was working. Immediately Corpl. Midgley climbed over the parapet to bring the Highlander into the trench, but was unfortunately hit in the thigh and had to retire. Thereupon Corpl Lee, inspired by the bravery of his comrade, went our and dragged the Highlander back to the trench. Corpl. Lee was unhurt, and the Highlander had three flesh wounds, which I dressed. But for Corpl. Midgley’s gallant example, I feel sure the Highlander would have lain out there till he was suffocated or killed. I deeply regret the loss of so gallant a soldier, but it would have been some consolation to his relatives and friends to hear him commended, as I did, by so many of the Black Watch, and to know, as we all know here, that he gave his life for his friend.” Unm.

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966

1916

MIDGLEY John Geoffrey of 12 Oak-avenue Bradford corporal 3rd Provisional Company Royal Engineers died 7 November 1915 at Cirencester Gloucester Administration (with Will) London 14 January to Samuel Midgley teacher of music. Effects £472 17s. 3d.

Bradford Grammar School in WW1

JOHN GEOFFREY MIDGLEY

1890-1915 Aged 25

Corporal 106321 D.C.M., 188th Company Royal Engineers.

John Midgley was born in Bradford on 17th June 1890. He was the third of five children born to Samuel Midgley and Henrietta nee Tomlinson, and was their eldest surviving son. Samuel described himself as a Professor of Music, although his earliest recorded employment at the age of eleven was working underground as a ‘hurrier’ in a coal mine in Bierley, south Bradford. Henrietta was a vocalist and singing teacher, and together they ran a music school at a large house on Oak Avenue, Manningham for more than three decades. Their son John attended the Bradford Grammar School from 1900, when he was ten. He left no impression in the pages of the Bradfordian as a sportsman, but as a student in Form Fifth Classical (1905-6) he was second in Latin, Greek and English, third in Maths and fourth in Science. When he left in 1907 he changed direction by studying Chemistry at Bradford Technical College. Next he became Works Chemist for J.R. Denison & Sons, dyers of Bradford, and he was seconded for two months to the Baiers Company in Eberfeld, Germany. He was also a botanist who wrote for local weekly newspapers and delivered lectures. In the term after leaving B.G.S., Midgley presented to the school Photographic Society ‘an exceedingly interesting lecture on “Walks around Bradford” … demonstrated by lantern slides from his own photographs.’

When war broke out, John was quick to enlist in the Bradford Pals battalion (16th West Yorkshire), and his name was among the ‘First Thousand’ published by the Bradford Daily Telegraph on 6th November 1914. Following the first use of poisonous chlorine gas by the Germans in April 1915, the War Office decided to follow suit and circulated a letter appealing for men with experience in Chemistry to form special companies of the Royal Engineers. Midgley volunteered, becoming a ‘chemical corporal’ with pay of 3s. a day, and he went to France on 27th July 1915 to join 188th Company.

After a period of relative quiet on the Western Front, the French commander Joffre planned a joint Franco-British offensive in Champagne and Artois. The British 1st Army, commanded by General Sir Douglas Haig would deliver the British attack at Loos, an area of slagheaps and mining villages. As the B.E.F. was still desperately short of heavy artillery and shells of all calibres, chlorine gas was used to effect a breakthrough. Midgley’s Company was one of two responsible for installing five thousand cylinders in the front line and releasing the gas on 25th September. The results were mixed. Sir John French prolonged the attacks through October, and there was a second British gas attack on the 13th. For his actions that day Midgley would be awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. His company com-mander wrote ‘Corpl. Midgley, J.G., carried out his duties with coolness and perfect success, despite an intense bombardment and many serious difficulties … some of the infantry went over the parapet, were stopped by their own wire, and retired, leaving a wounded Private of the Black Watch in front of the bay where Corpl. Midgley was working. Immediately Corpl. Midgley climbed over the parapet to bring the Highlander into the trench, but was unfortunately hit in the thigh [by a shell splinter] and had to retire.’ A fellow engineer, inspired by this example, rescued the man who was saved from being gassed or left to bleed to death. Midgley was evacuated to Britain to the Red Cross Hospital at Cirencester, Gloucester-shire, where he died of his wound on 7th November. His officer wrote that ‘it would have been some consolation to his relatives and friends … to know … that he gave his life for his friend.’ His body was buried in Scholemoor Cemetery, attended by a guard of honour from the School O.T.C. He was unmarried.

Acknowledgements:

The photo is from the OBA Roll of Honour, with thanks. It is quite straightforward to reconstruct Midgley’s family and military career through the records available on Ancestry. De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour provides a detailed account of his life and death. CWGC and the Probate register give Midgley’s unit as 3rd Provisional Company R.E., the London Gazette as 189th Company, and De Ruvigny’s as 188th Company. Since four companies were formed, numbered 186-189th, I have plumped for 188th as the 3rd Company. Various sites provide information on the gas companies. For ‘chemical corporals’, see Jeremy Mitchell’s Shrapnel and Whizzbangs—A Tommy in the Trenches 1914-18 (2008, The Memoir Club), an account of his father’s service. Like Midgley, he studied at Bradford Technical College. See also my biography of John Robertshaw Hill, killed 6th May 1917.

Midgley’s body was interred in Scholemoor Cemetery at III. C. 614 according to CWGC. After much tramping through wet grass the grave was located. The cemetery diagram was of little assistance. The cemetery post code is BD7 2PS

Researched and composed by Nick Hooper November 2015 (revised May 2017)—for further information about Midgley or the commemoration of Old Bradfordians, contact by email
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Twitter @NickHooper13.