John Richard Garbett MM and Bar, Age 23

Sergeant, 36787, 61st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.

John was the son of Richard John and Eliza Garbett of 17 Langley House, The Finger, Dawley. It is hard to say if he was any relation to Private J. Garbett, John had served previously with the KSLI (2956) before being transferred at some point to the Machine Gun Corp.

In a letter to his parents from John's captain, he stated that John had won his MM at Ypres (19th November 1917) and now had also won a bar (2nd MM award) for gallantry and devotion to duty, The Captain went on to say 'I hope this may be some small consultation to you in your great loss and we have lost a most capable soldier and a brave man'.

He was killed in action on April 12th 1918 and whether it was during this action that he won his bar to his Military Medal is unknown but very likely judging by the Captains letter. What is known is that the announcement of him winning the MM bar appeared in the London Gazette on the 6th August 1918 but like all MM announcements no details of the act of bravery that won him the award are listed.

John (Richard) Garbett

Two pictures of John Richard Garbett on the previous page, the first one being probably taken in early 1918 when some Scottish battalions were transferred into the same division that John was serving in (48th). I am grateful to Roy Garbett who has kindly sent me photographs of both John and his brother George Garbett as well as a picture of Archibald Chilton who was the Garbett's daughter first love.

The two families must have had close connections because Roy has a privately printed scroll to John that is identical to the one that is shown in the middle pages of the book to Archibald Chilton, This scroll is shown below.

You will notice that on his scroll the family have had his name inscribed as Richard. 1. (John) Garbett, but if you check his army records and also seen here on his grave headstone, he was recorded as J R Garbett (John Richard). I have not come across any explanation for this change in order of Christian names.

Notes: Richard was christened on the 26th Aug 1894 at Malinslee, Shropshire, as Richard John Garbett, in the 1901 census he is named as Richard J and Richard John in the 1911 census, his father was also called Richard John and so Richard junior was possibly called John to avoid confusion and so he became known as John?

The family lived at Skylight Row, Malinslee, number 40 Church Road, Skylight Row, in the 1911 census, moving to 17 Langley House after 1911.
Please see the book for more photos.

WWI Medal Rolls Index Card

John lies buried in the St Venant - Robelq Road cemetery in Grave II.L.9

Commonwealth War Graves
John's War Grave St Venant - Robelq Road

***

Victory Medal	British War Medal	Military Medal with bar