Captain, 1st/4th Essex Regiment.
Killed in action 3rd November 1917 aged 29.
Buried at Gaza War Cemetery.
Former student of Classical History.
John was the only son of George, a headmaster of a local school, and Martha Mary Beddow. He was born in 1887 at Boothstown, entered Manchester University in 1907 and was a member of the University Officer Training Corps from 1908 to 1911. John graduated in 1910 with a B.A. and gained M.A. in 1912. He obtained a Bachelor of Letters from Jesus College, Oxford, in 1913 with a dissertation entitled The history of the fourth Parliament of William III. In January 1914 the journal History published an article by him entitled The True Importance of Magna Carta. After completing his studies John was appointed as a history master at Louth Grammar School.
When war broke out John was a senior history master at County School in Cambrdge where he was the commanding officer of the school’s Officer Training Corps and was on the unattached territorial force list. John trained a number of officers, including some from the Manchester University Officer Training Corps and as a result the war office would not release him for active service until he had trained someone else to do his role. In late 1916 having finally been posted to the Essex Regiment he was sent to Egypt where he spent some time attached to the Norfolk Yeomanry before moving to Palestine in January 1917. In early November 1917 the unit he was in command of, A Company 1st/4th Essex Battlalion, 162 Brigade, took part in an attack on an enemy position known as Gun Hill during the 3rd Battle of Gaza. Despite being wounded in the action he remained on duty and after it was reported as missing. Later that month news was received that he had been killed.
John left effects worth £439 6s 7d to his father.