Huthwaite WW One Memorial

John Horace Gollick

Lance Corporal 8/41972 - 8th Battalion
South Staffordshire Regiment

Enlisted: March 1916

Killed in Action 17th November 1917 : Aged 19

WELSH CEMETERY (CAESAR'S NOSE) I. C. 3.

Huthwaite Online WW1 Remembrance

Lance Corporal 8/41972 John Horace Gollick is offered additional Huthwaite remembrance, from reportage recognising where he'd spent most significant part a foreshortened life, being raised on Main Street by a widowed mother with 6 elder daughters.

This Yorkshire based Gollick family are identified from 1891 Anston cum Membris census. Headed by coal miner Thomas Collick 40 and wife Louisa 33, they there parent 6 daughters named Kate 10, Minnie 8, Ethel 7, Maggie 4 and May an 8month infant. Birth of a son named Horace John 1899 in Nottinghamshire, follows recent move into Kirkby prior 1901 census addressing a 29 Pond Street household. Single parented by a then widowed Mrs Louisa Gollick, her subsequent relocation into Main Street, Huthwaite, is only really evident from later local press reportage. Her daughter Minnie, however, can be identified as the one relating loss of her brother, after she married a Huthwaite born Mr John Ellis giving local 1911 addressing on Carnarvon Grove.

Preferring second name John, Mr Gollick attended Huthwaite Primitive Methodist Church and gained nearby work at B Winning Colliery. His mothers remarriage to Mr Thompson leads them into a Worksop home, where for little over a year, John extends religious and football interests before seeking enlistment. Private 38242 of the North Staffs Regiment might firstly recognise February enlistment of a keen 17 year old, until realising under aged dismissal served one week on a Grimsby mine sweeper.

Private 8/41972 John Horace Gollick enlisted again in March 1916, acceptably joining South Staffordshire regiment. His posting to France after home leave lasted just 5 weeks, but managed to acknowledge rank of a promising Lance Corporal 3 days before being instantly killed in action by shell fire. Service record simply identified original christian name given Horace John Gorrick. Worksop remembrance likewise lists H. Gorrick upon all their Church, Manton colliery and main cenotaph War Memorials.

Worksop Guardian - 23 November 1917
LANCE CORPORAL JOHN HORACE GOLLICK

The Rev. J. H. Bligh had the melancholy duty of informing Mrs. Louisa Thompson, wife of Mr. H. B. Thompson, 11, Potter Street, Worksop, yesterday, that her son, Lance Corporal John Horace Gollick, South Stafford’s, was killed in action in France, November 17th. The deceased who was 19 years of age, was Mrs. Thompson’s only son. He enlisted in March last, previous to which time he worked at Manton Colliery. He was on home leave six weeks ago, having been in France five weeks when he met his death. A letter from his Commanding Officer states that he was killed instantly by a shell when with a working party. He showed promise, says the letter, of being a good soldier, and only three days before he was made Lance Corporal, and undoubtedly would have won more stripes before long. The brave lad was a member of St. John’s Bible Class, and also connected with the Institute Football Club. He was a quiet well behaved boy, and his many friends will be sorry to hear of his death, and will sympathise with his parents.

Notts Free Press – 30th. November, 1917
LANCE-CORPORAL J.H. GOLLICK - HUTHWAITE

Although he with his mother and step-father (Mr. and Mrs. Thompson) left Huthwaite for Worksop a little over a year ago, Lance-Corporal J.H. Gollick had many friends in the former town, the family living in Main Street. He then worked at B Winning Colliery, and at Worksop was employed at Manton. He enlisted in February in the army, but had served a week on a mine sweeper at Grimsby just before, from which he was dismissed for being under age, as he was only 17 then. He was killed instantly by a shell on November 17th, five weeks after he had landed in France, and three days after he had received his first stripe, and not long after his 18th birthday. The news was a great shock to his mother, who suffers from a weak heart. At Huthwaite he attended the Primitive Methodist Church. He was a native of Kirkby, being the only son, but he has a sister locally in Mrs. J. Ellis, of Carnarvon-grove. Letters from the front say that he was a well-behaved and promising soldier. At Worksop he appears to have made friends quickly. He belonged to a Bible Class and played for a football team.