John Robert Boot

He was the son of John and Elizabeth Boot and the brother of Alexander, Benjamin and Katherine (later Bramley) Boot. In 1901 they lived at 25 Edith Street Middlesborough. In 1911, by when John Robert was away in the army, the family lived at 37 Turney Street Meadows Nottingham. John Robert was the husband of Mary Elizabeth (née Harris) Boot of 17 Ramsay Street Carrington Nottingham. They married at Nottingham in the autumn of 1913.

In 1901 he was a butcher's errand boy. He was a labourer before enlisting in 1905. He was a professional soldier in 1911 serving in India with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry. He was employed on the Nottingham tramway system before serving in the Great War.

He enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry aged 18 on 15/3/1905. He stood 5' 7" on enlistment but had apparently grown to be 6' 1" eight years later when he was transferred to the reserve on 31st January 1913. This commitment was extended for a further year in January 1914. Recalled on the outbreak of hostilities, he arrived in France 8/9/1914 and was taken prisoner 20/10/1914. Boot died of grippe (influenza) at Hoiesdorf Zuckerfabrik in the Reserve Hospital at 3.15pm 27/10/1918. The 2nd Battalion DLI was a Regular battalion and in August 1914 was based in Whittington Barracks in Lichfield, as part of the 18th Brigade of the 6th Division – the last of the British Army’s Regular infantry divisions. On 4 August 1914, the telegram ordering mobilisation arrived at the DLI’s Depot in Newcastle. Within days, the first reservists, including veterans of the Boer War, had been given new uniforms and equipment and were leaving South Shields for Lichfield to bring 2 DLI up to its fighting strength of 1,000 men. 'After first moving to Scotland and then to Cambridge, as the 6th Division prepared for war, the 2nd Battalion DLI, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Bernard McMahon, sailed from Southampton for France. On 20 September 1914, this Regular battalion was the first DLI battalion to see action in the First World War, losing 41 dead and almost 100 wounded at Troyon on the River Aisne. These were the first DLI casualties of the war.' Courtesy of Durham County Record Office (www.durhamatwar.org.uk) 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry were in the Bois Grenier/Rue-du-Bois area of France at the time Boot was posted missing. On 21st October 1914, according to the war diary, '... shelling by the enemy was almost continuous by day and often by night. Sniping caused some casualties and inconvenience.' Between 20th and 31st October the unit had two officers killed and 3 wounded. 15 men form the ranks were killed, 40 wounded and 7 reported missing. (2 DLI War Diary TNA WO95/1617/1))

Nottingham Evening Post obituary 20 February 1919: 'BOOT. – Dearly beloved husband of Elizabeth Boot died of influenza October 27th, 1918, at Hoiesdorf, Germany, after four years prisoner of war. Shattered hopes. – Sorrowing wife.' 13/8/1919 Mary Boot was awarded a weekly pension of 13/9d. CWGC cites Boot, which was the correct spelling, but other military sources including his ASR cite Boote. Presumably he used this name when enlisting. He apparently did not use his first name John in adult life. David Nunn