Lieutenant, 20th Battalion Royal Fusiliers.
Killed in action 20th July 1916, age 29.
Buried in Serre Road Cemetery No. 2.
Former student of Electrical Engineering.
John was born in 1887 at St Denis de L’Hotel, Loiret, France, to William James and Rosine Adelina Palmer. He was educated at Renne College, France, entered Manchester University in 1904 (his father was employed by W H Clarke, Printers at 28 Kennedy Street, Manchester) and obtained his MSc. Technology in 1907. He was an Associate Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers. Following his studies John was employed by Connolly Bros. , Blackley.
John enlisted as a private in the Public Schools Battalion in September 1914 and gained a commission in March 1915. He was killed during an action at High Wood on the Somme in France. He was re-buried and identified using his identity disc when a concentration of cemeteries took place in 1928. HIs headstone bears the inscription “Hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” which appears to be based on John 15:13 from the bible.