Current Information:

Ager-45

Born-Shoreditch

Strand Military Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Belgium

For the first three months of 1915, the 1st Rifle Brigade battalion of 11 Brigade, 4th Division were holding the line in Ploegsteert Wood, alternating between periods spent in the front line and time in reserve in billets from where they provided working parties for various tasks. Because of flooding here, the trenches were shallow, protected by breastworks of sand bags and the battalion spent much of their time trying to improve the defences as well as having to contend with shell and sniper fire. On 30th March, 1915, the 1st Rifle Brigade left Armentières, where they had been training for a week and moved into the trenches at St Yves. John Pratt was killed here on 31st March but there is no further information concerning his death.