John Wall Buckley MC, Battalion Transport Officer 15th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, previously Canadian Army Service Corps

Prior to the First World War John Wall Buckley worked as a rancher at Waneta in British Columbia, Canada, although he was British by birth.   He was, however, born in Italy on 30th October 1883 where his family lived at 7 Via Puggia, Genoa.  His parents were Arthur Burton Buckley, who came from a notable family, and Ada Maria Bacci.  John’s siblings were Cecilia Elizabeth, Jane Julia, Arthur Burton OBE, Hugh Gianpaolo and Peter Frederick Joseph.  The family were permanent residents in Italy although in 1901 John was a student at St Ives in Cornwall and in 1907 moved to Canada where he became a rancher.  His Canadian documentation confirm that his joint next of kin were Arthur Buckley, his father, who lived in Italy and The Right Honourable Lord Justice Buckley, his uncle Henry Burton Buckley, 1st Baron Wrenbury, of 7 Melbury Road, London. 

John enlisted in the 12th Reserve Battalion Canadian Army Service Corps (CASC) at Valcartier on 27th August 1914 and sailed for England with the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 3rd October.  When he joined he was described as being 5’ 9½” tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and brownish hair.  In January 1915 he transferred to the Divisional Mounted Troops Cyclist Company at Bulford.  Still a Private, John deployed to France in March 1915, joined the 7th Battalion and was wounded on 26th April.  He was treated at the No.18 General Hospital after which he convalesced at Rouen before returning to his unit.  He was again hospitalised at Rouen in July 1915 suffering from gonorrhoea and was sent to No.12 General Hospital.  He returned to duty a month later, was soon promoted to Lance Corporal and a week later was elevated to Corporal.   John was then posted to Headquarters Sub Staff, Canadian Section, 3rd Echelon, in August 1915 as a Lance Sergeant, quickly followed by further promotion to Sergeant then Quartermaster Sergeant.  Finally, he was attached to the Canadian section at Rouen as Orderly Room Clerk before returning to the UK Canadian Base at Shorncliffe in Kent where he was commissioned into the ‘Imperial Army’. 

He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the ASC on 20th February 1916 and was posted to the Horse Transport unit at Le Havre.  It was while serving with 281 Company ASC on 26th May 1916 that he was injured when a horse slipped and fell onto his right leg, fracturing his tibia and fibula; he returned to England, arriving at Southampton two days later.  After assessment and treatment at Langley Park Convalescent Military Hospital, Slough, he was granted sick leave from 1st June 1916 until 31st July that year, although he claimed he was retained in hospital for two months.  At the beginning of August John was placed on light duties and posted to No.1 Horse Transport Reserve Depot, 10 Company, Park Royal, Willesden, London, and in September was serving with No.490 Horse Transport Company at Kinmel Park, Rhyl.

John transferred to the West Yorkshire Regiment on 13th April 1917 and was sent to the 3rd Battalion at Whitley Bay.  An extract from his 41st Officer Class report stated:

 ‘A capable officer. Worked well and passed 8th in the examination.  General knowledge of transport work – good. Riding – good’. 

He joined the Leeds Pals and was appointed Battalion Transport Officer; his name appeared three times in the 15th and 15/17th Battalions war diaries.  The first was when he joined the 15th Battalion with a group of eight other junior officers on 29th May 1917 when the Pals were in hutments at St Eloy, two more officers arriving the following day.  These were replacements for the losses sustained at Gavrelle earlier in the month.  On the 14th February 1918 he was sent on a ‘Course of Instruction in Horse Management’.  The third entry was on 31st May 1918 announcing a number of awards to Officers and Other Ranks of the 15/17th Battalion ‘for gallantry and devotion to duty during recent operations’ an impressive tally of nine MCs, including one for John Buckley, two MC bars, two DCMs and three MMs.* The citation for John’s award was published in the London Gazette on 26th July 1918:  ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty.  During eight days continuous fighting, as battalion transport officer, he made daring reconnaissances of roads by day and night, and never failed to deliver full supplies of rations and ammunition.’ 

* The full list: MCs – Captains D A F Needham R.Fus (attd), J G Lee, RAMC (attd), Lieutenants D T King and J W Buckley, 2nd Lieutenants W S Wharram DCM, W Timson, H Walker, G W Tiffany and RSM J G Brennan; MC Bars – Captains W Peace MC and H Smith MC (deceased); DCMs – Sergeant H Wharfe and Private J Waring; MMs – Privates C Berry, J Linford and P Stanton.

He was discharged on 1st March 1919 giving his address as c/o C R McGregor Bart & Co, 39 Panton Street, London, and relinquished his commission on 15th October 1920.

John married Marjorie Ruth Dreschfield at St Mary Abbot in Kensington.  They had four children, the eldest being Henry Arthur (Harry) who was born in 1920.  Their UK address was Keithcot, Winchelsea, Sussex.  He returned to Canada with his wife and first child and on the 1921 Canadian census is listed as a farmer, with his address as 2284 Windsor Road, Victoria, British Columbia.  In September 1939 he was 54 and retired and is recorded as sailing from New York on the SS Washington although it is not clear what the destination was.  However, at some time he returned to England.

John died on 29th May 1964 at 2-4 Clarence Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent although his home was at Fords Field, Smugglers Lane, Crowborough, Sussex.  Probate was granted the following year to Ralph Leonard Emanuel Dreschfield, retired Attorney General of Uganda, John’s brother in law, and Agnes Ada Maria Buckley and Barbara Eve Dreschfield,  both of whom were spinsters.  His wife Marjorie predeceased him, dying in 1961.

Sources:

The National Archives Kew – British Officer Service Record, War Diaries

Canada National Archives – Canadian Army Service Record and 1921 Census

Ancestry – Censuses, Marriage and Probate Registers

London Gazette – Appointments and Awards

The Peerage – Biographical details of Buckley family

Researcher: David J Owen

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