The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Second Lieutenant J S Wacher

Photograph by "jj83"

Second Lieutenant John Stewart WACHER, 1st Battalion Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, (attached 7th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers), killed accidentally, 5th August 1916, age 20.

21st March 1896, born Dane John, Canterbury, Kent, younger son of Sidney Wacher, FRCS, surgeon and Margaret Caroline Wacher, (nee Frend), of 9, St. George's Place, Canterbury, Kent.

1911 Census - 9, St. George's Place, Canterbury, Kent. - Sidney Wacher, head, age 46, married, Surgeon, born Herne, Kent; Margaret Caroline Wacher, wife, age 43, married 19 years, 5 children, all still alive, born Canterbury; Herbert Stewart Wacher, son, age 18, single, Medical Student, born Canterbury; Ruth Wacher, daughter, age 16, single, school, born Canterbury; Judith Wacher, daughter, age 12, school, born Canterbury; John Stewart Wacher, son, age 15, single, school, born Canterbury; Louisa Cooper Wacher, vicitor, age 66, Private Means, born Herne, Kent; Wray Frederick Palliner, visitor, age 18, single, Preparing for Cambridge University, born London; Rose Annie Christie, servant, age 21, single, cook, domestic, born London; Lilian Eveline Hogben, servant, age 20, single, housemaid, domestic, born Canterbury.

Educated at Junior Kings from 1905 & at The Kings School, Canterbury from September 1910 to July 1913, during which time he played rugby for the 2nd XV and was awarded his sports colours in 1913. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps from February 1910 and was promoted to Lance Corporal in January 1913. During his time with the Officer Training Corps he achieved a First Class Musketry Certificate and attended three annual camps.

Following the outbreak of war he applied for a place at the Royal Military College Sandhurst on the 18th of August 1914, in an application which was supported by the Headmaster of King's. At a medical examination, which was held on the 14th of October, it was recorded that he was five feet ten and three quarter inches tall. He was in H Company at Sandhurst and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment on the 16th of December 1914.

He embarked for France on the 17th of May 1915.

On the 12th of June he was taken ill and on the 17th of June 1915 he was admitted to 14 General Hospital at Wimereaux with slight German measles. On the 19th of June he was transferred to 10 Stationary Hospital at St Omer and on the 20th of June he was evacuated and embarked on the Hospital Ship "Newhaven" at Boulogne arriving in Dover the same day. On the 21st of June he was admitted to 5th Northern Hospital at Leicester following which he appeared before a medical board which declared him to be unfit for service and gave him three weeks leave from the 25th of June. On the 16th of July he appeared before a further medical board where he was declared as "completely removed from German measles."

On the 23rd of July 1915 he reported for duty with the 3rd Battalion of his regiment at Fort Darland, Chatham. He was due to join the 2/4th Battalion of his regiment at Gallipoli but, with the evacuation of the peninsular imminent, he was attached to the 7th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers on the 15th of November 1915 and served in Salonika. On the 24th of June 1916 he was admitted to hospital with diarrhoea but was released back to his unit on the 19th of July.

He was accidentally killed by a bomb near Kamara in Salonica.

Medals sent Mrs S Wacher (mother), The Hoath, St Martins Hill, near Canterbury, Kent.

Buried at Mikra British Cemetery, 1392., Kalamaria, Salonkia, Greece and commemorated on the Canterbury City War Memorial in the Buttermarket.

London Gazette 15th December 1914.

REGULAR FORCES.

The under mentioned Gentlemen Cadets, from the Royal Military College, to be Second Lieutenants. Dated 16th December, 1914.

The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). - John Stewart Wacher.

This page was last updated on 31-Dec-2022.