More about John Loney

DUNDEE R.N.D. MAN KILLED IN ACTION

Mrs Loney, 2 Park Lane, Dundee, has received official intimation that her son, A.B. John Loney, Royal Naval Division, was killed in action on December 23, 1917.  Deceased, who was 21 years of age, enlisted shortly after war broke out, and had been in France for over a year.  Prior to enlistment he was in the employment of Gilroy, Sons, & Co., Ltd., Tay Works, Dundee.  Deceased father and brother are still serving with the colours.

Dundee Courier 15^th January 1918

CWGC = C1/7386 ; Hawke Bn. War Diary 22/12/17 states:- “Highland Ridge. Work on existing trenches continued. ‘B’ & ‘C’ Companies worked on Naval Trench for 4 hours under Royal Engineers supervision. Casualties 3 Other Ranks Killed, 4 Other Ranks Wounded.” ; An Oiler ; b.18/8/1897 ; Next-of-Kin & home address: Mother, Mary, 14 Temple Lane, Dundee.

John Loney was the son of Mr John and Mrs Mary Loney of 14 Temple Lane, Dundee and formerly of 2 Park Lane, Dundee. He was employed as an Oiler when, in November 1915, he volunteered to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve onboard HMS Unicorn for service in the Royal Naval Division. After initial Naval Training at the Crystal Palace in South London he was sent to Blandford Camp in Dorset for advanced military training at the end of February 1916. He remained at Blandford until September when he was drafted to the Nelson Battalion in France. After some time in the Base at Etaples he joined the Nelson in December. He took part in the fighting at Gavrelle in April 1917 but was admitted to hospital afterwards suffering from ICT. This stands for ‘inflamed connective tissue’ a condition that occurred amongst soldiers in World War One due to all the marching done and poor diet. He was evacuated to England and admitted to the War Hospital in Guildford, Surrey for treatment and then to Eastbourne to convalesce. This took some time but he was granted 10 days leave in June. On his return he was sent to Blandford and then drafted to the Hawke Battalion in France at the end of July. For some reason his record states that returned to the Nelson at the end of August. He would have been involved in the fighting at Passchendaele in October and November. The RND was transferred to Welch Ridge and it here that John Loney was killed in action in December. The Germans were desperate to re-capture this ridge and launched several assaults against the positions held by the RND. His body was recovered and he is buried in the Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery, at Villers-Plouich, Nord. 7 G 6.

Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie