LANCE CORPORAL JOHN ABBOTT KING (JACK), 1/10th KINGS LIVERPOOL REGIMENT (LIVERPOOL SCOTTISH).

LANCE CORPORAL JOHN (JACK) ABBOTT KING, 1/10th KINGS LIVERPOOL REGIMENT (LIVERPOOL SCOTTISH). KILLED IN ACTION 9th AUGUST 1916.

On the 5th August 1914, the day after the declaration of war, John Abbott King was gathering hay at his farm in Ben Rhydding with his friend Tom Lumb. Whilst the two friend toiled in the fields, a messenger arrived to inform Tom that mobilization meant that must immediately join his regiment of yeomanry cavalry, the Yorkshire Hussars. Making his apologies Tom Lumb made to leave but John, better known as Jack, insisted on accompanying him. The following day Jack presented himself at the recruiting office of the Yorkshire Hussars and asked that he be allowed to enlist. A deeply unimpressed recruiting officer replied that at only 5'5" Jack was too short to join the Hussars. Jack King was not a man to be trifled with, for not only was he immensely powerful but he was also one of the greatest rugby players ever to wear the white jersey of England. Throwing out his 45 inch chest, Jack replied "....I've come here purposely to join with my friend Lumb and I am going to stick here until you take me in". By that evening Jack had become Trooper King of the 1st Yorkshire Hussars.

Trooper Jack King in the Yorkshire Hussars

John Abbott King, was born on the 21st August 1883, the eldest son of John and Mary King. His father was a master cloth finisher who lived at 78 Hyde Park Road in the Burley district of Leeds. Immediately behind the house was a workshop where John and his brother carried on their trade, which eventually employed a number of workers. John was obviously successful in his business such that he was able to move to a more substantial house in the pleasant surroundings of Wetherby. However, within just a few years both John and Mary were dead leaving Jack and his brother and sisters as orphans. The children were fortunate that their maternal grandfather, Arthur Thompson, had sufficient means to look after them. Arthur was the licensee of the Queen Hotel, on Burley Road in Leeds and was, by all accounts, something of a property developer. In 1898 Arthur enrolled Jack as a boarder at Giggleswick School, near Settle in the Yorkshire Dales where he became a member of the Rugby XV and records show that he was a highly regarded forward. Jack left the school in 1901and took passage to South Africa where he was intent in pursuing a career in farming and sought employment as a cattleman. He settled in the town of Durbanville just outside Cape Town where his interest in rugby was re-kindled and began playing for the small local club. His skills  soon came to the notice of a the much larger club, Somerset West  RFC, which was packed with South African International players. The club was the home of the Morkel family who were a legend in South African Rugby. They provided the back bone not only of the local club but also the Springbok team including its captain. To be invited to play for Somerset West First XV was the highest accoladeand the two pictures below show Jack King and West Somerset 1st XV in 1905. Thanks to Bokkie Carstens of Helderburg RUFC (South Africa) for the photographs.

In 1906 Jack King returned from South Africa and bought a farm at Ben Rhydding called Wharfedale Gate off Ben Rhydding Drive. His brother and sisters joined him in the enterprise and together they lived in the large farmhouse. Having played rugby at the highest level in South Africa, he now joined the Headingley club in Leeds, regarded as the best team in the West Riding. Quickly called into the first XV Jack was soon chosen not only for the Yorkshire county side but also selected for the North of England team. As a forward, Jack King had few equals and because of his size and strength was nicknamed the 'pocket hercules'. Given his immense power and natural rugby skills he was soon called up to play for England and between 1910 and 1913 he played 12 times for the national side and only missed out in 1914 because of injury. As newspapers at the time report, Jack King was loved by Yorkshire supporters but adored and idolised by the ever so critical Twickenham crowd. On the 4th January 1913, Jack was a member of the England team who faced the 'invincible Springboks' at Twickenham. The photograph below shows a composite picture of both teams with Jack sat on the second row on the far right next to his great friend from Somerset West, and Springbok Boy Morkel.

England and South African teams 1913

Jack King and his regiment, The Yorkshire Hussars, landed in France in April 1915. Used mainly in policing duties and occasional trench holding operations, soldiering in the cavalry was not as glamorous as Jack had perhaps anticipated. A few weeks after arriving in France his best friend, Tom Lumb, was killed in action and Jack seems to have been anxious to find a more front line role. In early 1916 he met another England International Lancelot Slocock who was a Captain in the 1/10th Kings Liverpool (Scottish) Regiment. With his friends encouragement Jack transferred from the Yorkshire Hussars to join his great friend in the Liverpool Scottish. Soon promoted to Lance Corporal Jack and his battalion moved into the Somme area in June 1916. In his last letter home he considered the possibility of death and wrote, ".....so long as I don't disgrace the old Rugby game I don't mind". On the 8th of August the 1/10th were ordered to take part in a hastily prepared and poorly organised assault on the German lines at Guillemont. Attacking at 4.20am they were met by heavy machine gun fire from three sides and of 600 men who started out over 100 were killed, amongst them was Jack King and his friend Lancelot Slocock. The colonel of the regiment reported that he had last seen Jack under murderous machine gun fire acting coolly and showing an example to the others .Lance Corporal Jack King has no known grave and his name is recorded on the Memorial at Thiepval, he is also remembered on the memorial tablet in St John's Church in Ben Rhydding and on Ilkley War Memorial