Lance Sergeant David Warner 1st/4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment

Northamptonshire Regiment

David WARNER was a Lance Serjeant No. 201385 in the 1st/4th Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment. He had previously been No. 3/18119 in the Leicestershire Regiment

David was born in Kibworth Beauchamp on 2nd May 1882 and enlisted in the Leicesters at Leicester and later was transferred to the Northamptons. He was killed in action in Palestine on Thursday 19th April 1917.

He is buried in Gaza War Cemetery, Israel, Grave Reference X111.D.5.

Gaza War Cemetery

Gaza is 3 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean coast, 65 kilometres south-east of Tel Aviv. For details of how to find the cemetery click on the link for the Commonwealth War Graves web site.

Unloading a British Ration Camel

1/4th Northants were part of 54th (East Anglian) Division which went to Palestine in December 1915. After defeating a Turkish/German army in August 1916 the British took control of the Suez Canal and began to build railways and communication lines for the 1917 offensive. A large British force together with Indian troops and ANZAC mounted troops attacked Gaza twice and failed both times. The first time was on 26th/27th March and the second time was 17th – 19th April 1917 when Lance Serjeant David Warner was killed.

David was the son of David & Susan Warner of Kibworth Beauchamp. In 1901 his father was a general labourer living with his wife and family in Weir Road, Kibworth. If he later moved to Great Glen the date is not known. However, his name also appears on the Kibworth War Memorial.

HMS Renown

When the Census was taken on 31st March 1901 David jun. was an 18yr old Ordinary Seaman No. 197348 on HMS Renown which was at Gibraltar as part of the Mediterranean Fleet. She was a fairly new battleship having been built in 1895. She did not see the Great War as she was sold for scrap in April 1914.

The circumstances whereby David went from the Royal Navy to the army are not known. It can only be assumed his tour of duty in the Navy finished before the outbreak of war and that he then opted for the Leicestershire Regiment.

David was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.