CAPEL, John Henry

John Capel was born at Lydbury North, where his father was employed as a coachman and gardener. He enlisted in London, when he was living at his sister’s address in Fulham, and joined the KRRC. In November 1915 he married Edith, the sister of Rifleman Charles Green, who had been killed at Ypres in July. He served in the 11th Battalion and went to the Western Front in March 1916. In September after the fighting at Delville Wood he was in hospital with shell-shock and came back to England. He returned to the front in March 1917 and was again in hospital on the 11th August with inflammation of the stomach. He fought in the Third Battle of Ypres in the Battle of Menin Road and moved to the Hindenburg Line for the Battle of Cambrai. After the British successes the heavy German counter-attack of the 30th November caused heavy losses and among those killed on that day was Lance Corporal John Capel. He is commemorated on the Cambrai and Amblecote Memorials