DOB/DOD: March 3, 1888 (Windermere, South Lakeland District, Cumbria, England) – November 2, 1975 (Stamford, CT); 87 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Married to Alice Witman Nash (1895-1965).
CHILDREN: One son, John N. Latham (1924-2001). One daughter, Constance E. Latham Coonan (1921-1993).
ENLISTMENT: May 4, 1917.
SERVICE NUMBER: 1212528.
DISCHARGE: April 2, 1919.
FAMILY: Born to Thomas (1862-1902) and Elizabeth Latham (1865-1906). Four sisters, Katherine (1891-?), Lucy (1893-?), Frances (1894-?), and Mary (1896-?). One brother, Reginald [KIA in WWI] (1899-1918).
DECORATIONS: Also received the Purple Heart Medal and the French Croix de Guerre with bronze palm.
OTHER: One of twenty English-born Medal of Honor recipients.
MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING: World War I
BRANCH OF SERVICE: Army
UNIT: Machine Gun Company, 107th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division
GENERAL ORDERS: War Department, General Orders No. 20 (January 30, 1919)
AGE ON THE DAY OF EVENT: 30
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Sergeant John Cridland Latham (ASN: 1212528), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 29 September 1918, while serving with Machine Gun Company, 107th Infantry, 27th Division, in action at Le Catelet, France. Becoming separated from their platoon by a smoke barrage, Sergeant Latham, Sergeant Alan L. Eggers, and Corporal Thomas E. O’Shea took cover in a shell hole well within the enemy’s lines. Upon hearing a call for help from an American tank that had become disabled 30 yards from them, the three soldiers left their shelter and started toward the tank under heavy fire from German machineguns and trench mortars. In crossing the fire-swept area, Corporal O’Shea was mortally wounded, but his companions, undeterred, proceeded to the tank, rescued a wounded officer, and assisted two wounded soldiers to cover in the sap of a nearby trench. Sergeants Latham and Eggers then returned to the tank in the face of the violent fire, dismounted a Hotchkiss gun, and took it back to where the wounded men were keeping off the enemy all day by effective use of the gun and later bringing it with the wounded men back to our lines under cover of darkness.
Presentation Date and Details: February 4, 1919, Chaumont, France, presented by General John J. Pershing
From the South Bergenite (NJ) on August 6, 2009
Editor’s note: This article is the beginning of a series of articles by Rutherford borough historian Rod Leith, who will share historical figures and moments with the South Bergenite monthly.
“Jack, I’m proud to belong to such a splendid outfit and prouder still to belong to such a fine company as the MG (Machine Gun) is.”
Those are the words of Sgt John C. Latham, who, for bravery demonstrated on a French battlefield on September 29, 1918, won the highest military honors bestowed by America, France, and Great Britain in World War 1. As a member of the Machine Gun Company, 107th Infantry, 27th Division, Sgt. Latham, with two comrades, both from
Summit [New Jersey] heard a call for help from a disabled America tank. Under heavy fire behind the enemy’s line near le Catelet, France, Latham, and his two colleagues rescued the tank’s officer and two soldiers and brought the three wounded men to safety. Then, with one comrade, Latham returned to the tank, dismounted its Hotchkiss gun, carried it back to where the wounded men were, and held off the enemy all day by effective use of the Hotchkiss. Later, under cover of darkness, they brought the wounded and the gun back to American lines. One of Latham’s comrades, Thomas E. O’Shea, was mortally wounded and received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously. The third of the brave trio, Sgt Alan Louis Eggers, also received America’s highest military honor. After Sgt Eggers came home to Summit, they named a street in honor of his conduct in World War I. But John Cridland Latham, born in Windemere, England, on March 3, 1888, is still pretty much an unsung hero in the community of Rutherford, which he called home for much of a decade. After he came here in 1909, Latham was employed by Lambertus C. Bobbink, who recognized the Englishman’s promising shills as a landscape gardener and hired him to work for Bobbink & Atkins, the venerable horticultural service in East Rutherford. In 1917, Latham enlisted in the U.S. Army. For his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy…” Latham not only was awarded America’s highest honor, but he also received the French Croix de Guerre and the Médialle Militaire. From Great Britain, Latham won the Distinguished Service Medal.
While recovering in a French hospital from wounds received on September 29, 1918, Latham wrote to John “Jack” Jennings, his old friend and former boss at Bobbink & Atkins, and colorfully described the events of that crucial day:
“Jack, that stunt we pulled off on the 29th was a hell-hole, and no mistake about it. We tackled the toughest part of the Hindenburg line, and smashed it, too, and in such a way that Fritz (the Germans) saw the beginning of the end when that drive commenced. It was a wonderful sight to see the barrage working and eating its way into the Hun lines and a more glorious one when we received the order to go over the top.”
During his time in Rutherford, John Latham lived in a boarding house at 171 Montross Ave., run by Emily Ahsler. Ironically, at the time Latham went off to war, silent film director Douglas Fairbanks chose Rutherford for a production called “In Again, Out Again,” which was a spoof on the American anti-war movement. Fairbanks, who played a character named Teddy Rutherford in the 1917 film, could be seen climbing to a second-story window of 171 Montross Avenue, trying to break in tow in the charms of his sweeties (Helen Greene). Emily Ahsler owned the house through this period and later managed another boarding house at 63 Highland Cross, where Latham was listed as a resident in 1920. Latham later moved to Connecticut, where he married and raised a family in Darien. He died in Stamford, Connecticut, on November 5, 1975.
From The Stamford Advocate, September 23, 2018, by James A. Sparrow
Latham Park has gotten a lot of ink this past summer because of various sculptures, events, and, of course, “Marilyn Monroe.” It is a beautiful inner city park, and I am very happy it is being used. I go by it every day, and people are always there and seem to be enjoying themselves.
And now, here comes the “but.”
Several times, I have walked around the park asking different people what or who the park is named after. What or who is Latham? “It might be the name of this section of town” or “It might be the name of a former mayor” are common guesses.
Most of what I got was simply, “I have no idea.” At the southern point of the park is a stone about a foot and a half high and about 3 feet wide with a bronze plaque that reads John Latham Park, CMH, (which stands for Congressional Medal of Honor; however, the right term is just Medal of Honor) along with the date Sept. 29, 1918, which is the date of the action for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. That was 100 years ago this week. Thanks to our parks department, the park is well-groomed. However, the beautiful flowers in front of the stone and plaque have now covered up the information.
Latham is John Cridland Latham. He ran the Latham Florist Shop on Bedford Street for 30 years after World War I. He was born on March 3, 1888, In Windermere, England. He immigrated to the United States and joined the U.S. Army to serve in World War I.
On September 29, 1918, he was serving as a sergeant in the machine gun company of the 107th Infantry Regiment of the 27th Infantry Division. His Medal of Honor citation for that day reads: “Becoming separated from their platoon by a smoke barrage, Sergeant Latham, Sergeant Alan L. Eggers, and Corporal Thomas E. O’Shea took cover in a shell hole well within the enemy’s lines. Upon hearing a call for help from an American tank that had become disabled 30 yards from the, the three soldiers left their shelter and started toward the tank under heavy fire from German machine guns and trench mortars. In crossing the fire-swept area, Corporal O’Shea was mortally wounded, but his companions, undeterred, proceeded to the tank, rescued a wounded officer, and assisted two wounded soldiers to cover in the sap of a nearby trench. Sergeants Latham and Eggers then returned to the tank in the face of the violent fire, dismounted a Hotchkiss gun, and took it back to where the wounded men were keeping off the enemy all day by effective use of the gun and later bringing it with the wounded men back to our lines under cover of darkness.”
His awards are the Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, and the World War I Victory Medal, with three Bronze Service stars to denote credit for the Somme Offensive, Ypres-Lys, and Defensive Sector battle clasps.
And that’s just what he received from the United States.
He also was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal from Great Britain, The Médaille Militaire and Croix de Guerre with bronze palm from the French Republic, the Croce al Merito di Guerra from Italy, the Medal for Military Bravery from the Kingdom of Montenegro, and the Medalha da Cruz de Guerra from the Portuguese Republic.
What a man! A true combat hero who went on to operate a florist shop in Stamford. I think there is a big message in that. So, the next time you are on Bedford Street, maybe going to the Avon Theatre or window shopping, just check out that little corner of Latham Park and give a nod.
From the Hartford Courant November 4, 1975
STAMFORD (AP) – John C. Latham of Darien, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner for leading a daring rescue mission in France during World War I, died Sunday in a convalescent home. He was 87.
A sergeant commanding a platoon of machine gunners in the 107th Regiment of the 27th Infantry Division in 1918, in France, Latham and several of his men found themselves cut off by the enemy near La Catelet.
He and two others left cover to rescue three Americans in a tank, then held their position using a machine gun taken from the tank.
Despite a side wound, he and the platoon captured several German machine gun nests. Under cover of darkness, he led 2 men, some of them wounded, back to allied lines.
A native of England, he came to this country in 1909 to work on a Greenwich estate. He operated a Stamford flower shop for 30 years.
A park in Stamford bears his name.
He leaves a son, John N. Latham of Darien, a daughter, Mrs. Constance Coonan of Suffield (Connecticut), a sister in England, and four grandchildren. The funeral will be held Wednesday in the Noroton section of Darien.
Honored on a plaque in Fort Stamford Park, 900 Westover Road, Stamford, Connecticut
Buried in Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Drive, Arlington, Virginia; Section 35, Grave 1127. Photo from ANCExplorer.army.mil.
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