Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Strapps Snodin, a butcher’s assistant, born 1862 in Frieston, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire and his wife Mary Annie Snodin (nee Richardson, married in the 2nd quarter of 1890 in the Oakham, Rutland district) born 1853 in Brooke, Rutland. John (Jack) was born on the 20th August 1891 in Braunston, Rutland, his siblings were, Frank William, born 1890 in Braunston, George, born 1895 in Stretton, Rutland, Fanny Florrie, born 1897 in Greetham, Rutland and Annie, born 1900 in Uppingham, Rutland. On the 3rd May 1903 in Uppingham, Rutland, John’s father died aged 40. In April 1911 John was employed as a butcher’s boy and was residing in the family home at Hopes Yard, Uppingham together with his widowed mother, a char woman, and his siblings George, a butcher’s boy, Fanny, a schoolgirl and Annie, a schoolgirl. Before enlistment John had been a butcher, he embarked for France in the first week of January 1916, and was killed by a shell at Albert, France. John was awarded the British War and Victory medals.
The War Diary records: 1-5 Jul-16 – ALBERT. 6.30am. Bombardment commenced.
7.30am. British Infantry crossed No Man’s Land to the attack on the German positions East of ALBERT. The Brigade co-operated with the TYNESIDE SCOTTISH, the zone allotted to it being the whole of LA BOISELLE salient and a strip about 750 yards wide running from the salient in a North Easterly direction. The Infantry attack was greatly held up by machine guns which the enemy brought up from deep dug-outs after bombardment and our first waves of Infantry having passed behind them and on to the enemy support line were cut off. Three of these machine guns and detachments were knocked out by our guns. The fight then resolved itself as far as we were concerned into a struggle for the position of the labyrinth of trenches in and around LA BOISELLE. The village did not entirely fall into our hands until the 5th July when the 19th Divisional Infantry consolidated a line running round its Northern and Eastern outskirts. During these days our Batteries were chiefly employed in preventing fresh troops and supplies reinforcing the LA BOISELLE garrison from the direction of OVILLERS, and at night time barraged the approaches from the POZIERES direction. This according to the account of prisoners taken was carried out most successfully. Also during this period several parties of the enemy in the shallow trenches were effectively fired on and considerable casualties were observed.
1-6 Jul-16 – ALBERT. APPENDIX I. Great assistance in the clearing up of LA BOISELLE by the Infantry Bombers was given by this Brigades firing on the trenches of LA BOISELLE un-captured.
From the evening of the 1st July the 18 Pounder Batteries were firing continuously a barrage for 72 hours after which Batteries were relieved from firing by two hours at a time, but the barrage was continued up to the time of relief by 89th Brigade ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY.
On Friday July 21st 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “DISTRICT WAR ITEMS.” – UPPINGHAM SOLDIER’S KILLED. – Mr. and Mrs. J. Thorpe, Ayston-road, Uppingham, have received official intimation of the death in action of their son, Gunner L. C. Thorpe, R.F.A. He was 23 years of age. News of the death of Gunner J. Snodin, R.F.A., was conveyed in a letter from an Uppingham comrade, Gunner E. Aris, who informs his parents that “poor Jack was killed by a shell whilst in a dug-out.” Snodin was aged 23, leaves a widowed mother, who had two sons in the army.