John William Jenkinson was born at Pannal in 1891, one of six children born to James and Nancy Jenkinson. The 1911 Census records him living with his parents and siblings Mary Phyllis, Annie and Edward at 5 Harewood View, Pannal.
Following the breakthrough made by the German armies in an offensive on the Western Front that began on 21st March 1918, the 15/17th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment was ordered to the front as part of a desperate effort to bring the enemy advance to a halt. John Jenkinson was with “A” Company of the battalion when it went into the line in the Bullecourt sector, south-east of Arras, on 22nd March with 21 officers and 625 other ranks. The battalion side-slipped to the right on the following day, and on the 25th and 26th made withdrawals, eventually reaching the village of Hamelincourt. Casualties had been suffered on each day from heavy shelling and machine-gun fire. The events of the 27th are described in the battalions’ war diary:
The battalion withdrew to south-east of MOYENNVILLE, and here the enemy made his most determined attack. His machine-gun fire was extraordinarily intense and the battalion suffered many casualties. It was almost impossible for the wounded to withdraw. Both our flanks, for some reason unknown, were “in the air”, and the enemy poured through in large numbers and attacked from the rear. A small number of men and four officers succeeded in making their escape, but the greater part, either through wounds or because of the rapid closing of the circle by the enemy, were unable to withdraw.
When the battalion was relieved on the 30th, its casualties over the period 22nd-30th March included 19 other ranks killed, 1 officer fatally wounded, 7 officers and 77 other ranks wounded, and 11 officers and an estimated 500 other ranks missing. Among those missing, presumed to have been killed in action on 27th March, was 26-year-old John William Jenkinson. John's body was recovered from the battlefield and buried at Moyenneville (Two Tree) Cemetery. The inscription on his headstone, chosen by his parents, reads LOVED IN LIFE REMEMBERED IN DEATH.