Major John Crosby Warren MC
When you enter the Stathern War Memorial Institute you will pass a limestone foundation stone by the door, which is cemented into the brick wall. It is inscribed: “This stone was laid by J C Warren Esq, Dec 6th, 1919”. That’s only a year after the ending of the First World War was declared.
I know little of the origins of the Institute; I believe it was built by public subscription and J C Warren probably contributed a substantial sum towards this. He was a Nottingham solicitor, who formed a law partnership, Warren and Allen, the name of which continued until just a few years ago. J C Warren, or to give him his full name John Crosby Warren doesn’t appear to have owned a house in Stathern – he lived at Private Road, Sherwood, Nottingham - but for many years rented The White Cottage in Chapel Lane Stathern , and clearly he visited Stathern a lot. He is recorded as being here in the 1911 census. The house had stables and he would have enjoyed riding and hunting with his children.
In 2012 a lady knocked on our door and introduced herself as Sue Coakley. She said she was the great-granddaughter of J C Warren and she had vague memories of Stathern and wanted to see where he lived. We were delighted to show her the house and garden in Chapel Lane.
J C Warren had a son with exactly the same name as his father, John Crosby Warren. He was educated at Sedbergh Public School in Cumbria and then went to Trinity College Oxford and gained an MA degree. He got married to one of the Clamp family in 1915, and was clearly associated with Stathern – indeed we think he lived here after his marriage - and no doubt he was following his father in the family law partnership. War intervened and he volunteered for the territorial force of the Robin Hood Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. He was 25 years of age.
Major John Crosby Warren MC
Sue Coakley said she had the war diaries of John Warren, her grandfather, and with her permission I will read the extract she sent me. The entries were written in very small writing with abbreviations.
On 12 October 1915, a few months after his marriage, John Warren was a Second Lieutenant (temporary Captain) on the Western Front in France at the Hohenzollern Redoubt (i.e. an earthworks fortification). His diary entries for the next 4 days, which I have slightly abridged, bring home to us the horrors of war:
Tuesday 12 October 1915.
A glorious morning. General preparations for action. Another pow wow by Commanding Officer at 12 noon. March off 3.30pm. A very long and tiring march. Under Brigade Direction of course, we don't get any halts as usual, only 5 mins in 3 1/2 hours. Halt for tea at 7 pm and move off to trenches at 9.30pm. We don't get to Railway Reserve till 4 a.m. No dug outs at all and I slept in a shell hole in front of the parapet.
Wednesday 13 October/Thursday 14 October/Friday 15 October 1915.
The morning very cold and foggy. Continuous shelling up till 12 noon when the bombardment began. A most terrific din and a sight of a lifetime. One would think that nothing could live through it. At 1 pm smoke and gas began; this appears to have been very useless. At 2 pm the 137th and 138th Brigades attacked. At 2.45 I received orders to report to Commanding Officer, 4th Lincs in first line. Went up with company and eventually went over the top. Got across with very few casualties and went up 'Little Willie' [a trench system] where Walton was bombing. Soon afterwards he was killed. I was left there with Sgt Maj Mortimer and a few bombers and very few bombs. The Lincs and Leics retreated and left us isolated. We hung on all we knew, getting the wounded out and keeping the Huns off. At last they got both sides of us and we had to get over the open to the Redoubt where we built a barricade and held it all night. Had to see to everything: bombs, ammunition, stretcher-bearers etc. Never had such a time in all my life. The casualties were awful. The open ground covered with our dead and wounded. No Royal Army Medical Corps and no organisation. Had the whole left flank to myself and could get no help and no bombers. Col Brevill was splendid and without him we should have lost the whole thing. Relieved at 5.30 by Vickers. Went back to old front line and was shelled there all day. At 4 p.m. we were sent back to Railway Reserve. At 8 p.m. was sent up again with my company as if we hadn't had enough! Stuck it all night and all next day. Shelled the whole time. Not many casualties but my nerves were beginning to go. Relieved by 6th Battalion at 5 p.m. A bit later relieved by Guards Division and set off for rest billets. Slept on my horse most of the way. Everyone very dirty and done up. A lot of trouble with billets. None to be had. Sent in recommendations of men for good work. We lost Rex, Tom, Dean, Dick Tyatt, Arnold Bright in the show and McCraith and others wounded and sick. Dead sick of the war.'
[3 weeks later he writes:]
Friday 5 November 1915.
I am attached in the trenches to a company of the 4th Black Watch who are very hospitable and entertaining, though their dugouts aren't up to much. The trenches are in a filthy state - up to the knees in mud. I am here informed that I have been awarded the Military Cross.
The citation in the London Gazette reads: For conspicuous gallantry at Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October 1915 when with a party of 4 men he held back the enemy in “Little Willie” for three hours. When the enemy got into the trench behind him he withdrew across the open into the western face of the redoubt where he built and occupied a barrier. Here he personally helped in bombing back a strong attack and held the trench for 14 hours. Captain Warren’s name has previously been brought to notice for gallant conduct
In December his son John was born. It was to be his only child. Two and a half years later, on 21 March 1918, when his rank was a Major, John Crosby Warren was killed in action in France. He lies in the Queant Road Cemetery in Buissy, in the Pas de Calais region of northern France. He was 28 years of age. His name is on our Memorial Board with a cross against it indicating he gave his life for this country.
Major John Warren surely should rank among the most famous and certainly bravest of all Stathern citizens. Apart from his Military Cross he was mentioned in despatches. He was the most senior serviceman killed in the war from the Vale of Belvoir. Long may we remember his name and the names of all those from this village who fought and gave their lives for this country.
Roger Hawkins, November 2012
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Left: the cottage at 1 Chapel Lane which the Warren family rented.
Right: the stable block at 1 Chapel Lane where they kept their horses.
Photographed in 2024.