John Berry

Military Information

  • Date of enlistment:
  • Place of enlistment: Dundee
  • Service no: 410113
  • Rank: Company Sergeant Major
  • Service Occupation:
  • Awards:
  • Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers
  • Unit/Ship: 15th Field Company
  • Place of Death: France
  • Age at Death: 34
  • Date of Death: 27/05/1918
  • Burial Country: France
  • Cemetery: Soissons Memorial
  • Grave/Mem Ref no:

Personal Information

  • Date of Birth: October 1883
  • Place of Birth: Collessie, Fife
  • Address: 51 Taylors Lane, Dundee
  • Occupation: Budge Oil Company
  • Mother:

    Eliza Berry, 51 Taylors Lane, Dundee

  • Father:

    George Berry, 51 Taylors Lane, Dundee

  • Siblings:

    2 brothers & 5 sisters

  • Spouse:

    Helen Murray Berry, Denbank, Main St, Abernethy

  • Children:

    Jean (born 18.12.1913), Mary & John (twins, born 26.04.1916) and Frances (born 1919)

More about John Berry

Company Sergeant Major John Berry trained men in Colchester during the First World War before going to the Front himself. A letter from Lieutenant Garbutt explained to the family that John had been wrongly posted, but went out into the fray regardless. He was killed on May 27th 1918 at the beginning of the Third Battle of the Aisne.

Berry left behind a wife, 3 daughters and a son, all under five. Frances, born January 1919, was the result of his last leave and, sadly, he did not get to meet her before he died.

John Berry   410113   Royal Engineers  

Dundee Company-Sergeant-Major Falls in Action.

Intimation was received in Dundee today of the death in action on 27th May of Company-Sergeant-Major J. Berry of the Dundee Engineers.  Company-Sergeant-Major Berry had his home in Taylor’s Lane.  In his younger days he was in the Black Watch, and served in India, and was for a time in the employment of the Budge Oil Company.  When war broke out he joined the Engineers, and rose to the rank of Company-Sergeant-Major. His wife and family reside in Abernethy.

Dundee Evening Telegraph 18th June 1918

Additional information kindly supplied by John Berry’s grand-daughter, Aileen Hynd and Michael Caldwell

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