9th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (British Army)
Date Of Birth:
29/01/1898
Died:
09/09/1916 (Died of Wounds)
Age:
18
Summary
John Park was the son of James Wilson Park and Jane Park. John Park was born on 11th January 1898 in Orritor, Cookstown. They were a large farming family. Before the war John was employed by the Midland Railway Company in Moneymore as a clerk. John Park enlisted in Cookstown, joining the 9th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Private John Park fought at the Battle of the Somme and ‘escaped without a wound.’ He was then moved to Belgium. On 8th September 1916 Private Park suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his back and abdomen and was so severely wounded that there was no hope of his recovery from the very start and he died the following day. He was just 18 years old.
Bailleul is a large town in France, near the Belgian border, 14 kilometres south-west of Ypres and on the main road from St. Omer to Lille. From the Grand Place, take the Ypres road and 400 metres along this road is a sign indicating the direction of the cemetery. Turn right into a small road and follow for approximately 400 metres. The cemetery is on the right and the Communal Cemetery Extension is at the bottom end. A number of Casualty Clearing Stations were situated here during the war and the resulting cemetery is a large one.
