Jack Arthur Maddock Longhurst died of wounds on 26 October 1944. He served with the 7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment (5500675). He was temporarily buried in Haps on the village square. On 18 July 1946, he was reburied at Overloon War Cemetery in grave I.D.5. His gravestone reads: “He laid down his life for his country”.

No photograph of Jack Longhurst has yet been found. If anyone reading this has a photograph of him or more information about him – or if you notice any errors in his biography below – please contact us.

Family background

Jack was born in London on 6 May 1917. It is currently unclear where exactly he was born and who his parents were. It is believed that he was born in the Marylebone district of London, that his father died young and that his mother was unmarried.
Jack was taken in as a foster son by the widow Mrs E. Childs Boscombe East, Bournemouth, Hampshire. In the 1921 census, he is listed as a 4-year-old boy in this family as an “adopted son”. His father is said to have died. Emma’s two daughters, Florence Kate (1920-) and May Winifred (1921-), both born in Pokesdown, are also listed here. Emma Childs was a “ laundress” who worked from home.

Emma Louisa Childs was born on 4 February 1872 in South Warnborough and died in April 1953. Her parents were Daniel Childs (1831-1908) and Catherine Dicker (1839-1921).
Emma’s siblings were Frances Charlotte Childs (1866-1926), Amy (Anne) Barbara Childs (1869-1931), Albert Charles Childs (1874-1964), Edith Childs (1877-1966), Kate Childs (1879-1957), Frank Childs (1883-), and Jessie Childs (1885-1969).

At present, not much is known about the life of this family. There is also no information about Jack Longhurst’s childhood and when he enlisted in the army. Given his age, this must have been at least at the beginning of the war.

MILITARY CAREER

7TH BN HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT

The 7th Bn Hampshire Regiment was part of the territorial army (reserve) of the Hampshire Regiment. When war broke out in 1939, it was mobilised and assigned to the 130th Infantry Brigade of the 43rd (Wessex) Division.
The battalion spent the early years of the war in Great Britain, mainly in southern England, where it was deployed for coastal defence and intensive training in preparation for a future invasion of Europe.

NORMANDY

The battalion landed in Normandy shortly after D-Day on 22 June 1944, close to Le Hamel, with the 4th and 5th battalions of the Dorset Regiment. They were deployed in the heavy fighting around Hill 112 (Operation Jupiter) and the Battle of Caen (Operation Charnwood). These battles against German units (including SS armoured divisions) were particularly bloody.

The 43rd (Wessex) Division, including the 7th Hampshires, played a crucial role in breaking through the German lines during these operations and later in the advance towards the River Orne.

HILL 112

Hill 112 is a strategically important hill in Normandy, south of Caen, which played a crucial role during the Second World War. From its summit, the hill offered a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape, making it a key position for both Allied and German forces.
Hill 112 became the scene of a fierce, ten-week battle between the two armies. These bloody battles ultimately contributed to the liberation of Caen and the success of the broader Allied breakthrough in Normandy. British troops, including units from the 43rd Wessex Division and the 11th Armoured Division, made heavy sacrifices to capture and hold this terrain. The hill changed hands several times, and the losses were heavy: in total, around 10,000 soldiers lost their lives in the battle for Hill 112.

A monument was later built on this hill in memory of all those who fell. A replica of this monument stands in Winyards Gap, Dorset, England.

After heavy fighting in Normandy, the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, including the 7th Hampshires, advanced rapidly through France and Belgium to the Netherlands in August 1944. Since the Normandy landings, the regiment had lost (including wounded) 35 officers and 450 other ranks.

OPERATION MARKET GARDEN

The aim of Operation Market Garden was to capture the bridges at Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem through a rapid advance, thereby creating a route to Germany and ending the war before Christmas 1944. Unfortunately, things turned out differently.
The task of the 7th Battalion during Operation Market Garden (17–25 September 1944) was to support the airborne operation by advancing northwards overland along the so-called “Hell’s Highway” — the narrow corridor between Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem — to reach the airborne troops. The route got its name from the fierce German resistance, which slowed down the advance and forced soldiers into dangerous battles.

After the liberation of Eindhoven (18 September) and Grave, the 43rd Division reached the area south of Nijmegen on 20–21 September. The 7th Hampshires were deployed to secure the bridge at Nijmegen after it had been captured by the 82nd U.S. Airborne Division. They were then ordered to advance north towards Arnhem via Elst, with the aim of relieving the encircled British 1st Airborne Division at Oosterbeek.

The advance to Arnhem was extremely difficult. The corridor was constantly attacked by German troops (including elements of the 10th SS Panzer Division “Frundsberg”). The 7th Hampshires fought fierce battles in and around Elst, often in open terrain under artillery fire and against tanks. They suffered heavy losses, especially in attempts to reach the village of Haalderen and the dykes near the Linge. By 25 September, it was clear that the corridor could not be held any longer; the battalion needed to withdraw. The attempt to reach Arnhem failed, and the survivors of the 1st Airborne were evacuated.

During this period, the 7th Hampshires lost more than 100 men killed, wounded and missing. Many companies were severely depleted after the battle. B and C Companies in particular suffered heavy losses in the Elst and Lent area. A monument was later erected in Driel in memory of the soldiers who died in this area.

7TH BATTALION, HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT IN THE MEUSE REGION (OCTOBER 1944)

After the failure of Operation Market Garden at the end of September 1944, the front stabilised along the major rivers: the Waal near Nijmegen and the Meuse near Mook–Cuijk. The 43rd (Wessex) Division was ordered to secure the southern bank of the Meuse and protect the corridor from Grave to Nijmegen against German counterattacks.

In early October 1944, the 7th Hampshires were moved from the area around Elst and Andelst to the Meuse front near Mook and Middelaar, directly opposite German positions at Gennep and Oeffelt on the other side of the river. The terrain along the Meuse was treacherous. It consisted of narrow dykes, low-lying meadows that were regularly flooded, limited cover for infantry, and constant exposure to German artillery from across the river.

The 7th Battalion was tasked with occupying the Meuse line and being vigilant for German infiltrations or crossings by boat, conducting patrols along the river and in the villages of Middelaar, Plasmolen and Cuijk, and securing the bridge at Grave and the Meuse crossings, which were essential for the supply of XXX Corps.

The German troops on the other side consisted mainly of units of the Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) and remnants of Wehrmacht units that had withdrawn from the southern Netherlands. They regularly carried out small-scale artillery and mortar bombardments, but large-scale attacks did not occur.

Conditions were harsh and demoralising. The autumn rains made the dykes muddy and the trenches filled with water. The men of the 7th Hampshires spent weeks living in wet shelters with little protection. German artillery fire and snipers caused constant light casualties — often a few dead or wounded per day.

The War Diaries mention periodic night patrols across the Meuse to observe German troop movements or take prisoners. Sometimes small skirmishes were fought at Middelaar or in the floodplains near Katwijk (near Cuijk). There were no major battles, but exhaustion and constant tension took their toll. The battalion also suffered many casualties in October due to artillery fire and accidents.

On 24 October, comrade William Leonard Philipps (5958113) was killed in action. He was temporarily buried in Mook and later reburied in Groesbeek at the Canadian War Cemetery in grave VI.C.12.

On 25 October, a comrade was killed, while the rest of the group needed to retreat due to artillery fire and an attack with hand grenades. A day later, on 26 October, when they wanted to collect the body, it had disappeared. It appears that this was Ernest Charles Colyer (14572632), who is still commemorated as missing on Panel 4 at Groesbeek Memorial Canadian Cemetery.

During the evening and night of 26/27, reconnaissance patrols were carried out along the dyke road in Middelaar, with the villages of Katwijk and Cuijk on the other side of the Meuse, to scout the enemy’s position. The patrol led by a recently joined and in experienced officer Lt. Nethercliff came under fire from a house near the junction. Lt Nethercliff was badly wounded by machine gun fire, even so he returned unaided to his company to deliver a detailed patrol report. (from The War History of the 7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment 1939-46 Ian Taylor p.205).
During the evening, a planned change of company positions was completed, resulting in the companies being positioned along the front as follows: A on the left, D, C, B on the right. The location of C company was very close to the bank of the Meuse across from Cuijk.

It was on this day that Jack Arthur Maddock Longhurst was wounded and died from his injuries.
The war diary records one death, but is silent on the circumstances of how L/Cpl. Longhurst was killed. He was a Boscombe lad and one of the Battalion’s ‘originals’. (The War History of the 7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment 1939-46 Ian Taylor p.205).

It is assumed that he was transported to the village of Haps, near Cuijk, where many British soldiers were stationed. Whether he was treated there at the emergency hospital of the Red Cross, we will never know. What we do know is that he was buried in the village square in Haps. Three other British soldiers had been buried there earlier that month. They were Francis Charles Cannings, Warren James Harris and Wilfred Rigby, all three from the 2nd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment. The graves of these soldiers were lovingly tended by the inhabitants of the village of Haps and flowers were regularly laid there.

All four were buried side by side at Overloon War Cemetery on 18 July 1946.

Towards the end of October 1944, the 43rd (Wessex) Division was slowly relieved on the Meuse line by American and Polish units (including the 104th U.S. Infantry Division). The 7th Hampshires were temporarily withdrawn to Mook and Groesbeek for rest, resupply and training.

However, they remained in the area to support the defence of the Meuse front until November 1944, after which they prepared for further operations in northern Germany and on the Rhine in 1945.

Ancestry Civil and parish birth, marriage, and death records; English census and records from 1921 and 1939; electoral rolls; military records and family trees.
Wikipedia
Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum
Team Traces of War, Joris Nieuwint and Jeroen Koppes
War Diaries 7th Bn Hampshire Regiment
War Diaries 1st Bn Worcestershire Regiment
The War History of the 7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment 1939-46 Ian Taylor p.205.
ww2talk.com 

Research Anny Huberts