The Soldiers

15/495.Private J.IBBITSON

Born Yeadon, Leeds. 1877
Killed in action 14/7/1916. Age 39.

John Ibbitson was living at Heathfield in the village of Yeadon, Leeds when he enlisted on 5^th of September 1914.
After training at Colsterdale and service in Egypt and France, he was transferred to the 10^th Battalion West Yorks Regiment.

On the 1^st of July 1916 the 10^th along with the 15^th (Leeds Pals) suffered terrible casualties in the opening part of the Somme offensive. Private Ibbitson was one of the few men who managed to survive the initial attack unwounded.
The 10^th lost 710 men, killed or wounded on the 1^st of July. A handful of men were brought out of the line by their surviving officer, a young wounded,  2^nd Lieutenant.)

When the 10^th had been brought up to some sort of fighting strength with replacements from other battalions they were back in the line manning the forward trenches at Contalmaison, It was there on the 14^th of July that Private John Ibbitson was killed in action by enemy shell fire.

Having no known grave he is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial to the missing, Somme, France.