John Robert Bagge

A Permanent Way Inspector with Iraq Railways, John died on 7th of August 1920 at the age of 36. 

John was born at Lowestoft on 31 June 1884, a son of John Robert Samuel and Alice Bagge. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church on 7 September 1884. In 1891 his family lived at 21 Jacob’s Street. By 1901 they were living at 75 Oxford Road and John was a printer journeyman. At some point John served with the 2nd Volunteer Battalion Norfolk Regiment. 

On 22 November 1904 John married Gwendoline Bessie Tuthill at Saint Peter’s Church, Carlton Colville. John was a motor man living at Saint Margaret’s, Lowestoft, and Gwendoline lived at Carlton Colville. Soon afterward John went to London to work for the Great Eastern Railway but seems to have been injured at work. In 1907 he lived at Saint Peter’s Park, London, but returned to Lowestoft that year. In 1911 Gwendoline, and their children, lived with her parents at 6 Gordon Terrace, Beccles Road, Oulton Broad. In 1913 John was a fisherman working on the trawler Livonia. 

John was working as a fruiterer when he enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft on 27 August 1914. He gave his first names as John Samuel. John joined the Norfolk Regiment, service number 3/8132. He was posted to France on 3 December 1914 and joined 5 Infantry Base Depot, Rouen. He joined the 1st Battalion, in the field, on 19 December. John was admitted to 15 (sic) Field Ambulance on 17 January 1915, with rheumatism, then sent to 8 Casualty Clearing Station on 24 January, and then to 9 General Hospital, on 27 January, to be treated for myalgia. He was transferred to England on 20 February and his service papers show that he was also appointed acting Lance Corporal on that date. John was posted to the strength of the Depot. He was posted to the 3rd Battalion on 23 July 1915 and was appointed paid Acting Corporal on 1 March 1916.  

John returned to France on 31 May 1916, arriving at Rouen the next day. He was posted to 5 Infantry Base Depot and, on 16 June 1916, joined the 1st Battalion in the field, reverting to paid Lance Corporal. At Longueval on 27 July 1916 John received a gunshot wound left forearm and shell-shock and the next day he was admitted to 1/3 Field Ambulance, and then to 13 General Hospital, at Boulogne. On 31 July he was evacuated to England viz Hospital Ship St. Denis. It appears that from 1 August 1916 John underwent treatment at the Northern General Hospital and while there he was posted to the strength of the Depot. He was posted to the 3rd Battalion on 26 August 1916.   

John was posted to the 2nd Battalion on 9 December 1916, when he embarked at Devonport. He arrived at Mesopotamia on 2 December 1916. On 14 December 1916 he was transferred to the Royal Engineers, service number 258976, later WR/298047, and posted to serve with the Railway Troops as a platelayer on 14 December 1916. The same day he was promoted to Lance Corporal and the next day he was appointed Acing Sergeant. He served with the Military Light Railway.

John was admitted to 31 Base Stationary Hospital on 8 February 1917, cause unknown, and was discharged form hospital on 19 February 1917. He was posted to the Military Light Railway at Sheik Saad on 27 February 1917 and was serving at Kut on 1 June 1917. 

John was Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette 12 March 1918.  

John was granted one month’s leave in India from 20 May 1918, but did not return to Basra until 1 September 1918. From 1 May 1919 John was attached to the Iraq Railway Inspectorate, pending his discharge from the Royal Engineers on 1 September 1919. 

John then worked with the Indian Railways Department, with service number 25950, and became a Permanent Way Inspector with the Railway Department in Iraq. He died of ‘disease’ at the New General Hospital, Bagdad, on 7 August 1920. 

John’s name appears on Saint Margaret's War Memorial.