Private John Henry Tallick

Born in Mitcham in 1889, John was the son of labourer John Tallick and his wife, Ellen. The couple married at Christ Church, Colliers Wood in May 1886 and also had two younger daughters, Lydia and Ellen. By 1891 the family was living at 203 Merton Road, Mitcham, however ten years later they had moved to 24 Phipps Terrace, Mitcham. The family had also grown, with the birth of sons Thomas, George and Joseph, as well as two daughters, Gertrude and Abi. John Tallick Snr was now working as a Coal Trimmer at the Gas Work in Western Road.

By 1911 the family had transferred to 3 Alexandra Terrace, Mitcham. John Jnr was now 21 and serving with the army. He had enlisted as a Private in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers and was stationed in India for six years. When war broke out, his battalion returned to England from Quetta and he was sent straight to Winchester without leave. After barely a week he was sent into the trenches of the Western Front, joining the 82nd Brigade of the 27th Division. He was involved in the battle of Neuve Chapelle, (10 -13 March, 1915) and presumably in the subsequent action at St. Eloi (15 March, 1915).

During his youth, John had been a regular member of the congregation at Christ Church, Colliers Wood and was also a teacher at the Army Schools. During his time in Belgium, he sent regular letters to his family and the local churchwarden, describing life in the trenches. An article in the Wimbledon Herald includes an excerpt from one such letter:

“…We are back again from the trenches, grateful indeed for the Lord’s preserving grace, especially after being so near to those who have suffered the sting of war from wounds. Only two nights ago a comrade was helping me unwind a coil of wire for entanglements when a bullet dropped him. Certainly, not a serious wound, but it reminds us of the necessity of being ready, whilst helping the man out of danger and bandaging the wound, my heart meditated for the moment upon the goodness of God and the remembrance of Psalm xei.7 came… ‘A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee’.

Confusingly, the article describes him as a Lance Corporal, but all the war office records state that he was a Private.

John’s final letter was received on 25 March 1915 at the family home at 379 Church Road, Mitcham. He was killed in action on Easter Sunday, 4 April 1915 at the age of 26. He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium. His name also appears on the Mitcham War Memorial.

Before the war, John’s younger brother, George had worked at the Palmers Ironworks near Phipps Bridge, Mitcham. He served with the Northumberland Fusiliers and fortunately survived the war. He died in 1961, aged 67.