Address: Rosmackuring

Considerable difficulty was experienced in finding John's Birth Registration. His Royal Marine Light Infantry (R.M.L.I.) service record said he had been born on 13 October 1885 in Belfast which was strange because the Wallaces lived and worked in Fermanagh. A search for his birth registration in the Belfast registration district was fruitless as was a search of the Enniskillen district which covered Fermanagh using the the name John. Eventually it was discovered that his Christian name had not been recorded correctly in his birth registration. Instead of entering John in the Child's Name column it had been entered in the Father’s Name column and then crossed out and William Wallace entered. The Child's Name column had been left blank. However, additional confirmation that the correct registration had been found was provided by the Mother's Name being shown as Eliza Wallace, formerly Johnston. Normally the address used in birth registrations for rural areas is the Townland. However, no Townland with the name Rosmackuring can be found in Fermanagh. The registration sub-district is given as Florencecourt which is strange because the Wallace family lived in the parish of Boho which is in the Enniskillen sub-district. A possible reason is that his mother Elizabeth (Eliza) went to stay with a relative for his birth.

Address: Belmoral Industrial School

The so called industrial schools were boarding schools for orphaned or 'difficult' boys who were considered likely to turn to crime if not subjected to a disciplined environment. Many pupils went into the armed forces. In his RMLI service record his occupation prior to enlisting is described as a carpenter so he probably learned his trade at this school. At the time of the census there were 363 pupils ranging in age from 5 to 15. John's age is given as 13. In addition 6 unmarried staff are listed including 2 teachers, the matron and a milk-maid. The census return shows that the school had a cow house - hence the milk-maid - and a piggery but whether this was for food or whether farming skills were taught is not known.

Why he was sent to an industrial school is not known. Probably because his mother had died and his father couldn't cope. His Service record shows that on entry in the RMLI he had numerous small scars on abdomen one 1½" inwards from right nipple and a scar over his left knee. There are no indications as to cause; possibly from fighting but whether before, during or after entry to the Industrial School is impossible to determine.

On enlistment he claimed that he as born on 13 October 1885 in Belfast (Co Antrim) whereas he was born on 2 September 1887 in Co Femanagh. At the time he was living in Belfast and the fact that he lied about his age to make himself appear 2 years older was not unusual for recruits. After enlistment he was sent to the Recruiting Depot at Deal in Kent before being transferred to the Plymouth Division on 16 November 1904. His service record gives a good description of him on enlistment:

Height: 5’ 7½”

Complexion: Fresh

Colour of Hair: Light brown

Colour of Eyes: Grey

Marks, Wounds and Scars: Numerous small scars on abdomen one 1½” inwards from right nipple. Tattoo across hands and heart on right wrist. Scar over left knee.

The scars are perhaps indicative of the life he led at the Balmoral Industrial School and afterwards in Belfast. The tattoos were probably acquired when he was working in Belfast.

Undoubtedly the impression given from studying his service record is that he was a hard-working and efficient Royal Marine but that occasionally he had lapses of discipline. What these were is not known but is thought that the most likely cause is drunkenness. The daily issue of rum to ratings and other ranks and the propensity to visit pubs or bars when on shore leave undoubtedly led to drunkenness. The following synopsis is compiled from the details given in his service record. For further details consult his service record or the transcript of his service record.

After being recruited on 14 March 1904 he was sent to the recruiting depot at Deal for initial training in which he did very well as an infantryman, in field training, musketry (small arms firing) and seas service gunnery. (The Royal marine contingent in a battleship or cruiser manned one of the gun turrets.) On 17 November 1904 he was drafted to the Plymouth division and from there embarked in HMS Commonwealth where he remained until 27 May 1907. During his time in Commonwealth he must have met his wife to be Amy Wakefield because they were married on 12 May 1907 in St George's Church, Stonehouse. This means that HMS Commonwealth must have been allocated to the home Fleet and been in and out Plymouth from time to time but when and where he met Amy is the not known. As a married man he would have been allowed to spend his nights at home when he was not required for duty either in the barracks when ashore or in a ship which was in port. After a short spell ashore he was drafted to HMS Cumberland on 3 September 1907 where he served until the 6 September 1909. During his time in Cumberland his Character which is a measure of his disciplinary record and is always Very Good provided no major breach of discipline occurs was reduced from Very Good to Good. He also lost a good conduct badge. What the breach of discipline was is not known. After being ashore for nearly a year he was drafted to HMS Hannibal on 28 June 1910 where he remained until 2 August 1910 before being drafted ashore where he remained until he was drafted to HMS Bellerophon on 1 February 1911. Bellerophon was a battleship with 10 12” guns in 5 turrets and was present at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 when she fired 62 12” rounds and received no damage. However, John suffered a flash burn. At the time there was a great emphasis on rate of fire and sometimes corners were cut to achieve this. It is possible that he received the burn when a breech was opened before the gun had fully recoiled. He was promoted to Lance Cpl on 11 July 1912 but was reduced to Private on 12 September 1914 at the same time losing a good conduct badge and being reduced to Good for Character. The assessment of his ability also went down from superior to satisfactory. One again the nature of his offence is not known. However, he seems to have pulled himself together and at the end of December 1916 his character and ability were assessed at the very good and superior respectively. He remained in Bellerophon until 1 March 1917 when once again he was ashore until 13 June 1917. During the time he was ashore was promoted to corporal. He was are drafted to HMS Cumberland on 11 June 1917. In September 1918 he caught Spanish flu and was sent ashore to hospital in Liverpool where he died on 2 October 1918. It is evident from the letters of condolence which was sent from the Officer in Charge Royal Marines - Captain D. K. Congdon - and his wife Marjorie to John's wife Amy that Capt. Congdon thought very highly of him (he had assessed his ability as superior at the end of 1917) and that he would eventually have been promoted to sergeant. In his letter Captain Congdon said, "I was closely associated with your husband in part of his work as he used to spend a considerable portion of his days in my office and therefore I got to know and appreciate him thoroughly. Everything he undertook he did splendidly, and was in my opinion the finest man in my detachment. Privately it may console you to know that I had written to three letters to barracks strongly recommending him for promotion and I think he would have left the Cumberland after the next trip in order to qualify. I am sure that, though he has left us, his example will live in the ship but the other men, and I feel proud to have had the honour of knowing and serving with such a fine man."

Address: H.M.S. Bellerophon

At the time he was a Private in the RMLI and almost certainly a member of the crew of one of the main armament gun turrets - she had 5 twin 12 inch turrents and traditionally the Royal Marines would have manned at least one. He had joined Bellerophon on 1 February 1911 two years after she commissioned and contiued to serve in her until 1 March 1917. At the time of the census she was part of the 1st Battle Squadron of the Home Fleetand was under the command of Captain Trevylyan D. W. Napier. On 26 May 1911 she was in collision with the battlecruiser HMS Inflexible. Bellerophon received damage whilst Inflexible took bow damage which put her in the dockyard until November. On 1 August 1914, after the Fleet Mobilisation and the formation of the Grand Fleet she joined the 4th Battle Squadron. On the journey to the fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow, Bellerophon collided with the vessel SS St Clair on 27 August off the Orkney Islands but sustained no major damage. In May 1915 she headed to the Royal Dockyard, Devonport for a refit which no doubt gave him and Amy some welcome time together.

although as his Death Certificate shows he had been transferred to Sparrow Hall Military Isolation Hospital suffering from Asian 'Flu and had died there. When he had been transferred is not known. His Service Record is annotated D.D. which is naval shorthand for Discharged Dead which was the formal position when a person dies in service.

Cause: influenza and pneumonia

Address: Longmoor Lane, Liverpool, Derbyshire

The cause of his death was the so called Spanish 'flu which killed more people worldwide than had died in the 1914-18 war. It is ironic to think that he had survived the war, including the Battle of Jutland, only to be struck down as so many young people were. He was serving in H.M.S. Cumberland when he caught the 'flu and was moved to Sparrow Hall. How many days before his death is not known as no patient records before 1920 are available. Presumably his wife Amy knew of his illness but almost certainly was not able to visit him as not only was he was in an isolation hospital but also the hospital in Liverpool was a long way from East Stonehouse where she was living with their four children. She was informed of his death by a letter from the Admiralty. His body was brought back to Plymouth for burial.

Letters of condolence were sent to Amy from his uncle George Wallace and his aunt Mary Darling who both lived in Fermanagh (his father had died in 1914 and his mother was illiterate); his Commanding Officer, Captain D.K. Congdon, R.M.; and his Commanding Officer's wife Mrs Marjorie Congdon. The letter from his uncle expresses profound sorrow over John's death but takes consolation in the fact that he was 'spared from a watery grave' and is with God. He also says that John's mother loved him 'very much'. The letter from his aunt thinks that 'it is better for him to die on his bed than to be slain in this cruel war'. It is evident from the letters that both his uncle and his aunt had a strong faith and in saying what they did they were trying to comfort Amy. Almost certainly neither were aware of the terrible death that Spranish 'flu inflicted with victims literally drowning in the fluid in their lungs.

The letter from Captain Congdon says, 'Everything he undertook he did splendidly, and was in my opinion the finest man in my detachment. Privately it may console you to know that I had written two or three letters to barracks strongly recommending him for promotion and I think he would have left the Cumberland after the next trip in order to qualify.' The letter from Mrs Congdon says what a splendid man he looked and that to her husband his loss is irreparable. She also offered to put Amy in touch with several of the officer’s wives in the Barracks at Plymouth who could help. Whether Amy ever took up the offer is not known.

Address: Plymouth, Devon

There is no record of who attended the burial service, who took the service, or whether there was a Royal Marine bugler to sound the Last Post. However, as there was an elaborate Memorial Card and he was buried in a war grave in Section J; Row 25; Grave 66 of the cemetery it is probable that it was a military funeral taken by a Naval Chaplain and that his wife and members of her family attended. It is certain that John's surviving relatives (his parents were dead) would not have been able to travel from Ireland and John and Amy's children were probably considered too young to attend. The date of the burial comes from Ford Park Cemetery Trust records. The records also indicate that his wife Amy purchased the freehold of the grave on 14 October 1919 for £6 and it was subsequently used for the burial of his daughter Winifred (Wynn) and his wife.