Private James Punton

Private James Punton, 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in action during the Battle of Loos on 1st October 1915 aged 31. He was the son of the late John and Elizabeth Punton and the husband of Annie Punton of Greenhill, Bamburgh, Northumberland. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Dud Corner, Loos, France. He fell in the continuous and vicious fighting for the trenches in and around the “Hoenzollern Redoubt”. Most ground was won by the side with the greatest number of grenades. Fighting was very confused in the labyrinth of trenches and continued for some days. Casualties were heavy on both sides and in the period 1st-4th October the Fusiliers had 5 Officers and 123 Other Ranks killed and 10 Officers and 115 Other Ranks wounded. The Fusiliers were then withdrawn to billets in the town of Bethune. The photo shows shells bursting on the Redoubt and the artist’s nightmarish illustration shows an attack with the troops wearing their gas hoods and using primitive grenades.