John Thomas Wilson

A Gunner with A Battery, 52nd Brigade, John died on 28th of May 1917 at the age of 33.

John was born at Ely in 1883, a son of John and Emma Wilson. In 1891 his family lived at 2 Middle Ten Bank, Ely. By 1901 they were living at Walpole Lane, Ely, and John was a domestic servant. Later his parents lived at 21 Silver Street, Ely.

On 25 February 1905 John married Louisa Alice Mitchell at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft. John was a bus conductor living at Silver Street, Ely, and Louisa lived at 28 Queen’s Road, Lowestoft. They lived at Ely before moving to Peterborough and in 1911 they lived at 21 Henry Street, Peterborough, and John was a domestic groom. Subsequently Louisa returned to Lowestoft and, in 1921, married Robert Yallop and they lived at 5 Essex Road. 

John enlisted in the Army at Peterborough. He joined the Royal Field Artillery, service number 177959. John was posted to France and served with A Battery, 52 Brigade. 

The Brigade war diary gives no details of how, or when, John was wounded. However, the diary does show that from 9 May 1917 to 1 June 1917 the Brigade’s casualties were one officer killed, four officers wounded, and 15 men killed and 108 wounded.

John died of wounds and is buried at Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery. The cemetery was begun by field ambulances in the area and it is probable that John had died as one of those field ambulances.