John Howard Cotterrell was killed on 4th September 1916 serving as a Lance Corporal with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. He was born in Chessetts Wood, Knowle in 1882 and was the youngest of the seven children (five sons, two daughters) born to parents Edward (a gardener) and Alice (née Clark) who had married at Knowle in November 1871.
By 1911, John was the last of the children living in his parents’ home. Aged 28, he was recorded as a domestic groom. Edward and Alice were listed as having been married for 39 years and to have had seven children, of whom two had already died. Their eldest child, Ernest Edward, died in 1880, aged eight.
We don’t know when John enlisted in the Army but he didn’t see overseas service before 1916. The County of Warwickshire Roll of Honour 1914-2005 vol. 1 by Ken Fowler notes that John Howard Cotterrell was also the altar server at St Francis of Assisi church, Baddesley Clinton for 16 years and is commemorated on a sanctuary lamp at the church. He is also commemorated locally on memorials at Baddesley Clinton, Chessetts Wood and Knowle.
If you have any further information, please let us know.
Tracey
Heritage & Local Studies Librarian
tel.: 0121 704 6977
email: heritage@solihull.gov.uk
Solihull Life 
Leave a Reply